Megaman Legends: Love Heist
by Traingham
Summary: Welcome to Love Heist. Memories of a forgotten past weave a timeless romance, while troubled hearts beat in the present. Such circumstances hold deeper meanings,however, as they take Megaman beyond the boundaries of imagination and the wonders of legend.
1. Engineering a Rescue

Disclaimer: I do not own the Megaman franchise...I own nothing...well, you get the point...

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc One: Elysium Rescue Arc_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

How does one give life to a legend? Is it through wondrous story telling or is it through the valiant deeds of a man or woman? More importantly, are most of the legends that we hear true or are they simply tales meant to inspire that which we call bravery and honor? Some tales hold some truth and some still have yet to reach a conclusion or so some would hope. The Legend that we are about to immerse ourselves in is one that many are quite familiar with. Whether the legend piques anyone's interest or not, it is one that is not forgotten by this historian. Not at all...

This is the Legend of a enigmatic young man named _Megaman Trigger_, a _Purifier Unit_ who was once under the command of the "_EDEN_" and the Mother units, _Mistress Sera_ and _Mistress Yuna_. His purpose was to eliminate abhorrent units, however, at some point he was able to break free of his limits and stretch far beyond it to fulfill the wish of a very close friend. The request that he was asked to carry out violated the very foundation of the world he lived in and so he was declared a "Maverick" or an irregular by some terms; the very thing he was made to destroy. His efforts to fulfill the wish requested of him was so extreme that he even dared to face off against Mistress Sera. Their fateful battle for supremacy over each other was long and arduous, however, it ended in a stalemate.

Mistress Yuna stopped the battle before it could cause any more damage to the balance of their world and so the beginning of the legend had merely begun. Trigger was severely damaged to the point of possible fatality. Due to the extreme nature of the injuries he incurred he had to find some way to repair the damage he sustained in his duel with the mother unit, Sera and find a way to escape from the world that he had turned against before it could get a hold of him again. He sealed his most precious memories away in another data drive by the name of...Data, a robotic monkey made to deceive others with it's appearance and he sealed himself in a state of dormancy within one of the many deep ruins on Terra to be reborn.

A family of diggers in the Nino Ruins found him. The man who found him was _Barrel Caskett_ who had a grand daughter whom went by the name of _Roll Caskett_. Trigger had been reborn in a form much differrent from his original vessel and his memory was completely lost, only to be found in his mysterious companion Data but we'll get to that part much later. With time Trigger had become a part of the Caskett family and he shared a deep friendship with Roll Caskett whom began to develop feelings for him as they continued to work with each other on the digs they went on. Digs were basically the excavation of ancient ruins, which were almost always guarded by mechanical entities called "Reaverbots". These machines were from a lost civilization back in Trigger's old world but to the new generation of "Carbons" (Human beings) they were simply guardians of the large refractors that resided within the enormous labyrinth-like ruins.

The story progressed with the rumors of a most coveted treasure called the "_Mother Lod_e". A treasure said to be so legendary that pirates and common diggers alike all succumbed to the dangers that stood in their path to have it within their grasps. Roll Caskett lost her parents to an unfortunate accident some time before she met Trigger when they set off for the "_Mother Lode_" so it became a goal she was determined to reach in tribute to them. Trigger wished to help her in whatever way he could so they formed their own Digger team and went on fearsome adventures until it lead them to an accident that stranded their Flutter on the island of Kattleox. During their long stay Trigger met an engineering prodigy named, _Tron Bonne_ on his exploration of the city on the island whom was part of an infamous Pirate family naturally called, "_The Bonnes_".

Trigger gained her interest after a few mishaps, however, it seemed that they were destined to forge a rivalry with each other as she was a threat to the quaint city and he was determined to protect it from those who wanted to pillage it of it's riches. He fought many battles against her as she pitted him against her destructive machines as well as her younger brother, _Bon Bonne_ and many times he was the victor but she refused to give in despite her developing feelings of fondness for the young hero.

Her brother _Teisel Bonne_ was infuriated to find out that Trigger was foiling their plans and eventually a personal war broke out between the dastardly pirates and the Casketts. They also shared a common interest in the Mother Lode, which was rumored to be somewhere deep in one of the ruins in Kattleox so they clashed with each other numerous times in search of the legendary treasure. Many revelations were made and Trigger slowly regained his lost memories with each plunge he made in to the dark ruins until he finally met a mysterious character from his past.

He discovered _Megaman Juno_, a _Bureaucratic Model_ from the same system Trigger had come from, in the final ruins on the island and immediately he was thrusted in to a final battle for the lives of all the carbons who inhabited the island. In an epic duel only read about in legends, Trigger finally suppressed the threat of "_Carbon Reinitialization_", a program meant to wipe out all life on the island...but for only so long. He left the island of Kattelox only to find himself heading towards another adventure that would lead him to more shocking revelations and more people from his past.

After the true location of the "_Mother Lode_" was discovered in the deep depth of the Forbidden island, Mistress Yuna and Mistress Sera made another appearance after many years and Trigger was tricked in to finding the four keys the opened the pathway to the titanic world of Elysium, a colony deep in the cold reaches of space where the young hero supposedly lived before his whole rebellion against the master system had begun. Fate lead him to engage Mistress Sera in one final epic battle on Elysium and the world was safe from the "Carbon Reinitialization" once again, however, this is where the new chapter begins...

Trigger was stranded on the colony in space with both of the mother units and the "_Elder System_", a system far more powerful than even the "EDEN" had showed signs of reactivation down on Terra. The Bonnes and the Casketts finally joined forces to bring the legendary hero back but it seemed that the two geniuses of both families, Tron and Roll weren't getting along and that only served to set them back in their rescue attempt quite a few more times than anyone would expect. Both girls had some intense feelings for the "Blue Boy" and the flames of a new war were beginning with matters of the heart. The concern of whether Megaman Trigger would ever be brought back was what both girls held in high regard but unbeknownst to the young hero, his return to Earth would probably be a return he'd willingly push back to a later date...

Welcome to the world of **_Megaman Legends_**...

Welcome to **_Love Heist_**...

* * *

**_[Episode One: To set side Differences...]_**

The Pirate engineering prodigy, Tron Bonne laid against the green grass of a hillside facing the launch site where she and Roll Caskett tested all of their rescue shuttles. So far all of their attempts to engineer a fully capable shuttle had been in vain and it was beginning to tick her off quite a bit. It was bad enough that she had to team up with that blonde, Roll, but at this rate she was never going to see Megaman again. Not that she was that eager to see him, mind you. Her two brothers always found a moment in every day to look her square in the eyes and ask her whether that was true or not, especially Teisel who she swore was unable to sit still knowing that they were on a mission to save the source of their money problems. Yes, the memories that she had of Megaman Voulnut were not so much pleasant as they were pulse pounding and unsettling to her mind whenever she chose to look back on her past confrontations with the young man, which was quite often, although one could argue that one of the reasons she held the blue bomber within her heart so fondly was because he made her feel so alive. Still, she wouldn't admit the feelings she felt for the "Blue Boy" wonder, even if someone placed a gun against her head and that was the flat truth.

Tron was the stubborn type and it goes without saying that the stubborn types are hard to move or persuade. Whenever she set her mind to something it was almost impossible to veer her away from the course she had laid out for herself regardless of the consequences that might have awaited her decisions. She considered Roll her greatest rival when it came to engineering and unfortunately she was not about to cooperate with that blonde so easily. Her "Rivalry", however, was not the only reason she had such a bitter resentment against the other engineering prodigy. The other reason stemmed from her obvious fondness for Megaman. It was clear that Roll also had similar feelings for the young hero and that posed a problem indeed, because there was only one of him and two of them...pretty self explanatory. Where as Tron would most likely take her leave of the Casketts when the rescue mission was successful, Megaman wasn't going anywhere and, least of all, anywhere with her. His home was with the Casketts and since he lived together with Roll...well, once again, self explanatory.

"Ms. Tron!" Came the high-pitched voice of one of her faithful servbots, the usual cheerful expression present on its adorable face. It was one out of the forty-one that the engineering genius had built, each capable of showing a variety of emotions and uniqueness in their personalities. It might have been a surprise to anyone that they were the main force of offense in the Bonne army, commandeering the air, sea, and land forces that assisted in their many operations in the past. Many a city and village had been brought to their knees by the crippling might that the diminutive robots held at their disposal.

"What do you want?" She asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice. She seriously wasn't in the mood to be bothered right now and that was especially so if the servbot's purpose was to deliver a message from Roll, which was something of a commonality these days. She was tempted to order all of them to ignore the blonde to make things easier on herself. "It isn't another message from "HER" is it?" Her eyes narrowed on the small bot as she spoke, but it was either oblivious to the silent warning or simply too naive to detect the warning signs that were coming from the young pirate.

"By "HER" you mean Ms. Roll?" The servbot cocked it's head to the side, indicating the latter.

"Who else?" She quipped sarcastically.

"No." It shook its head. "It's Mr. Teisel who's calling, Ms. Tron."

"...Swell..."She muttered under her breath as she got back to her feet, brushing the grass off her pants more out of reflex than for the sake of appearances. She still had soot and oil smudging the sides of her cheeks and forehead from the last failed project. She had taken to keeping a fire extinguisher nearby whenever she worked on the rescue vessels as her hair had a tendency to catch fire. The first time it happened Roll ignored it and kept on working as though it was a plain sight to her...which it technically was. Sure, she kept on insisting that it was hardly the case whenever she happened to bring it up, but Tron knew better than to believe the words of that crafty little fox. "Don't tell me it has anything to do with the cappuccino machine again."

"Yes, Ms. Tron." The servbot replied as it followed her down the hill toward the work site. "It is that again! How did you know?"

"Call it intuition." Tron replied with a grin before she heard a familiar squeak in the distance. The grin on her face instantly twisted in to a scowl, knowing exactly who it was coming her way. Only Data could make such an ear-bleeding squeak. It probably did not require any noting that she did not like her conversations with the cybernetic monkey. "Oh no..." She ran a hand down her face when Data hopped into the line of her sight, disappearing beneath the tall blades of grass whenever it landed on the ground.

"EEP, EEP! Ms. Tron!" Came the monkey's high-pitched voice. Watching it come ever closer, Tron prepared to whip around on her heel and put some real umph into her run before it could utter another word to her.

"NO!" Tron bellowed, shaking a fist at the source of her irritation. "Leave me the hell alone!" She nodded to her servbot to give it the signal to run and made a mad dash past the robotic monkey with the short bot following not far behind.

"But Ms. Tron! Listen to me!" Data pleaded. "It's for the sake of Megaman!"

"I don't need Roll's or your help got it?" She blew a raspberry at the monkey and continued running into the distance.

"Why won't you just swallow up your pride already?" Data cried out, finally having it with Tron and Roll's attitude. "I know how to bring Megaman back and you're still turning me down? How could you be so stuck up?"

"I'll bring him back MY way and if you and that blonde have any protests then leave em' where they count!" Data finally stopped pursuing the pirate when he heard those words, shocked that she would even say such a thing when he basically told her that he had the solution they had been searching for. He tore his gaze away from Tron's receding form and looked to the Flutter docked in the distance and the small red and yellow figure moved along its roof, undoubtedly Roll pacing back and forth again.

"Roll will probably listen to me!" Data said, confident that his words would reach her ears.

Roll would do anything to bring Megaman back! Surely her resentment against Tron would not get in the way of her conscience, right?

_Haha_... _so wrong..._

* * *

**_[Meanwhile up in Elysium...]_**

There was something about hanging around on a platform floating in the center of what one would call...empty space that could have a person slowly slip in to madness, however, this was not the case when we were referring to two Mother units and a purifier model; Those two mother units being Sera and Yuna and that one purifier unit being Megaman or Trigger by those who were a bit more familiar with his past life. Regardless of whatever they were, sitting cross-legged beside a lifeless gargantuan shell of a titanic golem was kind of unsettling. Sera wasn't too comfortable with it either despite the fact that it was her old body. It appeared that ever since Megaman had defeated her, her mind had suddenly become occupied with foreign feelings that were far from present before.

_For me to have feelings is unimaginable in itself._ Sera thought with a curious smile on her lips, which technically weren't her own since she was currently occupying Yuna's old body. Said mistress was also not within a body that was her own. Yuna had taken control of Matilda Caskett's body, who, for those whom were unaware, was Roll Caskett's mother. It didn't take much of a genius to realize that things were going to get pretty screwy when they got back to Terra...ahem...if they got back to Terra.

"It sure is taking Roll a long time." Megaman mused as he rocked back and forth with his legs brought up to his chest. His eyes were darting left and right as the thought of throwing himself off the floating platform had suddenly become quite tempting. "I don't think I can take much more of this waiting."

"Nonsense, Trigger. Calm yourself." Yuna told him as she placed a comforting hand on the purifier unit's shoulder. "I think all that time you spent on Terra is getting to you. Sera and I aren't cracking down the least bit and you already seem to be teetering on the edge of sanity."

"How did you get in here anyway?" Megaman asked suspiciously. "If you got in then we can get out, right?"

"...Well...no." Yuna answered after taking some time to think about her reply. "Sera?" She called to the other mother unit.

"Yes Yuna?" Sera asked, swiveling her eyes toward her sister.

"Do you see any way to leave this place?"

"I do, however, it may take some time." Sera stood up quickly and walked over to her former shell which towered over them with its eyes closed. "We will have to restore my old body so I can make use of it again. I twisted the dimensional rip with my abilities to seal Trigger here with me just in case I happened to fail in my engagement with him."

"You were successful." Megaman quipped, pulling off his helmet. He shook his head to let his hair feather all over his face and sighed. "When were you planning on telling us this anyway? It's been six days already."

"Has it?" Yuna questioned with an innocent smile. "I hadn't noticed."

"Neither did I." Sera agreed.

"...Are you two serious?" Megaman was horrified. "Oh god." Megaman looked out in to the deep star filled depths of nothingness that surrounded them. Why was all of this so much harder for him to cope with then it was for them? "Roll...Tron..." The hero knew he was desperate for someone if his rival came to mind. "Help me..."His last words sounded like a strangled plea.

"What was that Trigger?" Sera inquired.

"Oh, nothing." Megaman replied with a weak chuckle. He may have been losing his mind, but he wasn't about to stir the anger of a mother unit. Fighting Sera in her former body was hard enough. He could only wonder what she was capable of now that she was in control of Yuna's body. In fact now that he had all this time alone with the two mother unit's he might as well get reacquainted with them. His memories about his past life with them were still very blurry when he tried to think back to it. "I'm...sorry."

"Excuse me?" Sera turned her attention back to Megaman.

"I said that I'm sorry." Megaman apologized.

"For what?" Sera cocked her head to the side.

"For all of the trouble I've caused you." He bowed his head slightly before looking back at her. "I still don't quite remember what went on between us before I sealed myself in Terra, but I'm sorry for everything I've done."

"Don't be." Sera told him. "The Master asked you to do it. You had no choice, but to obey anything that he asked of you. It was only natural." She rested her head against the cold surface of her old shell. "I should be apologizing for not taking the time to understand your motives. I took action against you without hearing you or the Master out."

Both of them stared at each other for a long time before turning away from each other. Sera had no idea what she felt when her eyes met Megaman's, but it was seriously disturbing her. Something in the back of her mind tempted her to steal another glance at the purifier model and yet at the same time something else just wouldn't allow her to. It was all so confusing for her. Megaman on the other hand had experienced this feeling before with Tron and Roll. For him to be experiencing this awkwardness again simply because he was staring in to Sera's eyes vexed him.

"Well, look at the both of you." Yuna said cheerfully. She had to admit that the show that had ended moments ago in front of her was kind of cute. "And to think that you two had been enemies for so long. Just one apology and the both of you are blushing just looking at each other."

"W-what?" Sera touched her skin and realized it was giving off a warm sensation. "I don't understand what's going on. My temperature is rising."

"It's called embarrassment." Yuna clarified for her.

"Embarrassment? Why would I feel embarrassed?"

"Don't ask me." Yuna shrugged her shoulders with a grin. "Now as for your idea..."She trailed off to let her fellow unit continue. Sera nodded and went on saying, "In order for me to regain control over my former vessel it must be restored to it's original form."

"But how do we do that?" Megaman asked, crossing his arms inquisitively. "It's no longer functional right?"

"That is correct, Trigger." Sera replied, regarding him intensely. "That is why I require your help now."

"...What could I possibly do?"

"I need you to transfer your essence." Sera explained, eliciting a gasp from Yuna.

"You can't be serious." The gentle mother unit chided her sister, horrified that she would even consider such a method. "That might kill him."

"If you do it then there is a chance that we may lose you forever." Sera told Yuna. "That is something that we can't risk with the odd behavior of the "Elder system" down below in Terra. I would risk destroying your shell as well if I did it, however, since Trigger is a purifier model with an advanced regeneration program he is the only candidate for the transfer process." Seras turned to Megaman with a stoic mask. "You understand, correct?"

"...Yeah." Megaman replied dejectedly. "But I'll lose all of my memory again."

"Nonsense." Sera told him with a shake of her head. "You have all of your memory stored in that separate data drive, don't you?" She was referring to Data.

"Data only has my memories from my past life. I'll lose everything I remember about Roll and the others if I shut down again...I'll forget all about Kattleox and even Tron...I'll lose everything that I've ever loved about Terra. My adventures and all of the people I've met; the friends I've made." Megaman held his left hand against his chest with a shuddering sigh. "...I'll just be empty again."

"Megaman..." Yuna was at a loss for words. She turned back to Sera and asked, "There must be some other way...right?" To her dismay Sera shook her head in response and replied, "As much as I regret to say it, this is the only way. Even if your friends do make it to Elysium we are trapped in this dimension unless I regain complete control over my former self."

"I understand..." Megaman whispered. He fought the stinging sensation in his eyes. Was he truly going to cry? "...As long as I get to see them one last time. I'm willing to make the sacrifice." _Roll, Grandpa, Data, Tron, Teisel...we've come so far haven't we? We've had times when everything seemed lost but we always somehow made it through by setting aside our differences and working as a unit. Sometimes...it just takes a particular measure of bravery to ensure a good outcome...so...  
_

"I am glad to have met you Trigger." Sera suddenly said.

"Well then...let's get on with it." A wry grin made it's way across Megaman's lips. "We can't leave everyone waiting can we?"

* * *

**_[Back to the Casketts and Bonnes...]_**

Roll clutched her red hat in her hand as she looked down at the rocket engine she was preparing below from the top of the flutter. She was sitting on the ledge of the ship with her legs dangling in the air. She made a habit of coming here every afternoon to look up toward the sky where Elysium was quite visible late at night. She had no idea why she couldn't see it before when she and Megaman came to this island for their first key. The colony actually looked remarkable at night with it's brilliant blinking lights. Whoever came up with the blue print for the station must have been a true engineering genius. She could never picture herself coming up with something so monstrous.

"I wonder...did the same person build the reaverbots?" Roll mused as she fell back to lay against the deck. She folded her hands behind her head and crossed her legs. "What are you doing right now Megaman? These past days have been hard to get through without you and yet...look at us. Me and Tron still can't even make a capable spacecraft to bring you back." She heard some loud scuffling in the grass below but she ignored it. "I hate this loneliness...Grandpa and Bluecher come everyday to check our progress and Tron is here with her family, but I still feel so lonely. I don't know what happened to my mother or my father." She looked to the side and her lips curled in to a bitter scowl. "I don't even know who that imposter is or what she's doing walking around with my mother's body."

"ROLL!" Data's voice called from below, but the blonde engineer wasn't paying any mind to anything else but her thoughts.

"If only you could hear me Megaman."

"ROLL! IT'S ME, DATA! COME ON! I SEE YOUR LEGS FROM HERE!" The mechanical monkey cried out.

"Hmm?" Roll propped herself up on her elbows when she finally heard the monkey. When she heard Data again she sat up straight and looked down below to see the monkey waiting for her. "What is it, Data?"

"I really need to talk to you!"

"About what?" Roll closed one of her eyes in irritation and crossed her arms. "This better not have anything to do with your ideas-"

"W-wait-"

"...Because I'm not listening to you or that horrible girl!" Roll finished, narrowing her eyes imperceptibly. Tron was someone she didn't really get along with. Ever since Megaman had his first confrontation with her in the city of Kattleox she immediately took a dislike for her, but her real resentment towards the pirate didn't start until Megaman started bringing up her name in their conversations at dinner. It was suddenly, "Ms. Tron this and Ms Tron that". "It would be great if Ms. Tron changed her ways" or "Ms. Tron isn't really that bad a person." It started to tick her off even more when Megaman suddenly dropped the "Ms." and simply started to call her Tron.

What was so great about Tron anyway? She was a shameless pirate that would do anything for money. Besides the girl made a few attempts on Megaman's life whenever he got in her way to protect a town or city from her mischief making. Roll couldn't keep count of how many times she felt helpless behind her communicator when she heard explosions coming from the young hero's side or how she used to cringe when she heard Megaman cry out from being shot or rammed or even impaled. It wasn't something she wanted to get accustomed to but she had to because Megaman would always throw himself in the way of danger if it meant helping others or stopping a disaster from happening.

"ROLL! HEAR ME OUT!"

"GIVE IT UP ALREADY!" Roll screamed as she slammed her hands over her ears. "Go bother Tron or something!"

"I already tried with her!" Data retorted.

"Well good luck!" Roll muttered coldly before hearing the hiss of a door opening inside the flutter. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized that Tron might have returned to the flutter. That could only mean that she was planning on crashing in Megaman's room for the night again. "Darn it! Not again!" Roll got back to her feet and opened the hatch to enter the cockpit of the flutter. She closed the hatch over her while she descended the ladder and entered the main hall just in time to hear the light click from Tron locking the door. Judging by the trail of water leading to Megaman's room the lovely pirate must have showered earlier.

"How did she get in without me hearing her?" Roll clenched her fist angrily. "I shouldn't expect any different from a pirate."

"Hey, I heard that!" Tron yelled from within Megaman's room.

"Come out of there already!" Roll demanded now that she knew she had Tron's attention. "This is Megaman's room! Take grandpa's instead!"

"Nuh-uh." Was Tron's simply reply.

"Why not!" Roll growled.

"Cause he isn't around to take it back from me, so there."

"He would be around if you just cooperated with me a little more!"

"I've seen what you're capable of." Tron retorted. "You're ideas aren't going to bring him back!"

"And yours will?"

"Well, if you just listened to _me_ instead of being so closed minded!" Tron barked back.

"You're one to talk!" Roll started to pound her fist against the door. "Now get out of there! Don't you have a place to sleep with your brothers?"

"They're at Sulphur bottom with Bluecher!" Both girls stopped arguing when the door behind roll suddenly hissed open to reveal Data. The blonde engineer was surprised to see the monkey actually enter the Flutter without any assistance.

"How did you..." Roll trailed off when she saw the crimson glow in Data's eyes. The definitely was something new and she didn't like the looks of it either. "...Um, Data? Are you alright?"

"Instead of fighting with each other it's about time you set aside your differences for once!" The monkey snapped. Roll stopped leaning against Megaman's door when Tron finally opened it to hear Data out. She was clad in her pajamas, which Roll realized wasn't exactly much seeing as how the pirate seemed to be comfortable in just her lingerie. Roll inwardly took note of how much more developed she was in the chest area compared to her rival.

"...Well?" Tron snapped at her when she caught the blonde looking.

"N-nothing." Roll said with a light snicker, though her eyes narrowed somewhat when they lingered upon the other young woman's shapely hips, a major difference from her own, which were a little on the steep side.

"What's so funny, huh?" Tron demanded as a furious blush crept up on her face.

"HEY!" Data called both girls' attention. "Look, I don't care about your problems with each other but it's apparent that you both want Megaman to come back." Data set his sights on Roll. "And that you want to see your mother again even if she isn't herself anymore."

"...Data..."

"But if you want Megaman back then you're going to have to cooperate and listen to me for a change!"

"Is that so?" Tron sounded skeptical.

"That's right!" Data snapped at her angrily, causing her to flinch in fright.

**_[We turn to the other Bonnes at Sulphur Bottom...]_**

_"BaBuuuu."_

Teisel turned away from the book he was reading to face his brother who was sitting cross-legged on the floor in all of his mechanical glory. Bon Bonne was the youngest of the Bonnes, however, he was the giant of the family due to the robotic suit that he always wore. To others who heard the young Bon talk, they would believe that he only spoke gibberish, but to his siblings he spoke a language they could understand quite clearly.

"What was that, Bon?" Teisel asked, narrowing his eyes in concentration. "I didn't get that last part. I was too busy focusing on this poor excuse for a book." The oldest of the Bonnes was referring to the "How to become a Great Digger" book written by Barrel Caskett. Mind you, Barrel was an excellent Digger in his days before retirement.

_"Babuuuu!"_ Bon said again, sounding a little peeved the second time.

"I'm sorry, Bon. Don't take it too personally." Teisel apologized with a grin. "You know what...I feel the exact same way. Without that Blue Boy around things have gotten pretty boring." He took a moment to realize the irony of being in the room they were currently occupying. "Not to mention a bit weird. We should be looting everything in this ship right now, not waiting for a miracle!"

_"Baabuu?"_

"I'm talking about our sister Tron and that Roll girl that hangs around Megaman. So far from what number 23 tells me, they've just been arguing." Teisel tossed aside the book and rested his chin in one hand in deep thought. "If this keeps up Megaman will never come back!"

_"Babuuu Babu?"_

"Well of course we wouldn't have any trouble if Megaman wasn't around, but where is the excitement in that?" Teisel stood up from the rather uncomfortable bed he was sitting on and placed a hand on his hip while he raised the other up in the hair clenched in to a fist. "That's it Bon! We're going to talk some sense in to Tron!"

_"Babuu?"_ The young Bon stood up reluctantly. If there was one thing he wasn't willing to do right now, it was incurring the wrath of his older sister. Tron could get pretty nasty whenever she was in a bad mood. Megaman was lucky that he didn't meet her on one of her "special days" as Teisel saw fit to call it. All hell would break loose if that ever happened.

"Heh...you're nervous too, huh?" Teisel said, his voice wavering somewhat. Before both Bonnes could take another step the phone suddenly rang loudly, making the both of the flinch. "Only one person call us!" Teisel felt a bead of sweat threatening to trail down his forehead. "Well...we can't have her waiting forever..." He picked the phone up from the reciever and slowly lifted it to his ear. "Um...Hello?"

"Hey there Teisel!" Tron greeted him.

"...You sound kind of different today." Teisel said with a relieved sigh. Then again the way she greeted him sounded a little too happy. She didn't make good on her declaration to stuff Roll in to a plastic bag...did she? "D-Did you finally make a break through?"

"...Not exactly.." Tron replied.

"What do you mean, not exactly?" Teisel started to feel a doom feeling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe his thoughts weren't too far off.

"Well, Roll and I are heading to Nino island."

Well at least Roll was still alive...wait a second...

"You're heading where?"

...

...

Tron held the phone away from her ear to avoid a busted ear drum as her brother responded in a booming voice. Her brother sure could get really loud whenever he got pretty excited, which happened to be most of the time due to his goofy disposition. She looked ahead to view the Flutter flying ahead of her and quickly ordered, "HEY, let's hustle guys! She's getting farther away from us!"

**_"Yes, Ms Tron!"_** came the reply of all the servbots on deck. Tron nodded in satisfaction when her "kids" put a little more pep in their step and turned back to the conversation with Teisel. " We're going to Nino Island."

"What for?" Teisel asked, "Why didn't you tell me and Bon so we could come tag along? We need to gather zenny to rebuild the Gessellchaft you know!"

"I know, I know but I'm going alone on this one. Let's just say it's a girls only dig, huh?" Tron said with a chuckle.

"T-this isn't funny, Tron!" Teisel stammered. "You can get hurt down there without the support!"

"Come on, Teisel! How long have you known me?"

Teisel paused, "...Is that a rhetorical question?"

"I can take care of myself!" A haughty expression washed across Tron's lovely face. "Besides, I've got the Gustaff ready to go. It's improved since my last fight with Megaman!"

"...That's just swell Tron, I mean it, but you still haven't told me why you're going to Nino Ruins! Have you already forgotten about Megaman's situation up there?"

"NEVER!" Tron suddenly screamed.

...There was silence on the other side...

"Um...cool." Teisel sounded pretty startled. "I'll catch ya later!" With that final exchange he hung up. Tron simply looked at the phone for a moment feeling a little perturbed before handing it over to number 27.

"Thanks." Tron muttered.

"You are welcome, Ms. Tron!" He replied before running off to do his own thing. Just at the pirate was about to do a deck check; number 40 ran to her side. "Ms. Tron, Ms. Tron!" He called her name excitedly.

"What is it now?"

"About the alterations being done to number 42's rooming quarters..." The servbot trailed off.

"What about it?" Tron asked.

"Now this question is important!"

"Ok. Ask me already!" Tron said quickly." Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" She tapped her fingers on the armrest of her commanding chair impatiently. This had better be good if he didn't want to end up under the command of number 38 again.

"Do you think he'd like the color blue?" number 40 asked innocently. A pregnant silence followed as Tron simply stared back at the servbot without even bothering blinking. That was it. He was definitely going to be under number 38 again. She should have never given him that accursed design magazine. He's been nothing but a nuisance since the day he finished reading through it.

"You've got to be kiddin-"

"Ms. Tron!" Number 11 called her attention. Tron glared at number 40 for a moment as she mouthed the word, _"I'll deal with you later",_ before turning her attention to him. "We have sight of Nino island! We will be landing with Ms. Roll's Flutter shortly!"

"Affirmative." Tron stood up from her commanding chair and left the cockpit to prepare her Gustaff. Nino wasn't exactly a place Tron wanted to come back to, but it was for Megaman's sake so she was willing to take that chance. She had been there before on a not so memorable pillaging with Teisel and Glyde when they were still in their temporary alliance. Then again the people over there weren't able to get a look at her face since she strolled in there with her machine anyway, which reminded her...how were they going to get the Gustaff back in there unnoticed?

* * *

**_[Nino Island...]_**

Roll stretched as she exited the flutter with Data keeping up with her. Almost immediately the Guildmaster and his ever-present guild assistant, Johnny, greeted her. They saw the flutter docking at the ship docks and were very eager to meet her and Megaman, but the blue boy was nowhere to be seen. Then to make matters worse, a rather unfriendly looking ship decided to dock beside the flutter...Tron's ship of course...

"Who is that?" Johnny asked Roll. "That skull ornament on the front of the ship seemed awfully familiar, in a fear arousing sort of way."

"I was thinking the same thing." The Guildmaster agreed. Roll saw the suspicion building in their eyes and tried to crush it quickly. These guys were pretty quick to shoot before asking any questions. Her and Megaman found that out the hard way the first time they tried to dock at this island. if it could actually be called an island if not some large fortress in the middle of the ocean.

"Th-that's my new partner!" Roll explained with a nervous laugh. Her laughs started to falter when one of Tron's servbots started to request orders from her making both of the men in front of her raise their eyebrows rather suspiciously. The three watched as Tron started snapping out orders to her "kids" and moments later an enormous metal case was rolled out from the pirate ship. It was just about big enough to store a Gustaff, not that anyone could really tell of course.

"C'mon! Let's get moving!" Tron ordered number 7 and 16.

"Yes, Ms. Tron!" Both of them replied, pushing the metal case forward on the small wheels that squeaked loudly under the combat mech's weight. The female pirate cringed when the loud squeaks rattled the inside of her ears painfully. Roll and the two men covered their ears to spare themselves of the madness before it would make them deaf.

"AHEM!" The Guildmaster cleared his throat loudly over the loud groans from the rolling case. "WELCOME TO NINO ISLAND!" He greeted Tron.

"WHAT?"

"WELCOME TO NINO ISLAND!" Johnny joined along with the old guildmaster the second time.

"WHAT?" Tron cried out.

"HUH?" Roll started to get confused.

"WHAT?"

"WHAT?"

"WHAT?"

"YES, MS. TRON?"

"WHAT?"

"STOP ROLLING THAT CHEAP CONTRAPTION!"

"EXCUSE ME, MS. TRON?"

"I SAID STOP ROLLI-"

**_[At the Guildmaster's office...]_**

The Guildmaster wringed his hands behind his back as he stared at Roll and Tron who were standing side by side in front of him. Why in the world would these girls want to go back in to the ruins? After Megaman managed to clear it out and take the key, reaverbots started to form an even deeper concentrated defense in the flooded halls. That wasn't the only reason he was feeling very hesitant about letting them enter again though. The other reason stemmed from how suspicious Tron seemed as she ordered her servbots to push that annoying squeaking container around. Just what was she keeping inside that thing anyway that it was putting so much force on the small wheels that rolled it around?

"What are you looking to gain in _there,_ Ms. Caskett?" The Guildmaster asked, emphasizing the word "There" like it was painful enough to even think about the ruins. "Megaman already retrieved the key hasn't he? There's nothing else in there, but dangerous reaverbots. You'll be killed in there!"

"Look, old man!" Tron called his attention rudely, snapping a finger at him much like she would at a yapping dog. "I can handle myself in there, alright? I don't need Megaman around to protect me!"

"Tron..." Roll hissed at her temporary partner. "Don't be so rude..."

"Just stand there and look..." Tron narrowed her eyes at Roll for a moment as she searched for a word to say. She wouldn't go so far as to call her rival engineer "pretty". "...like you usually do." Tron turned away from her returned her attention to the Guildmaster. "We really need to gain access to the ruins, sir." She threw in the "sir" to make herself sound a little more respectable.

"...Hmm..." The old man scratched his chin. "Where is Megaman anyway?"

"Well...that's sort of complicated." Roll said sadly as she down caste her eyes. Tron felt that Roll was going to make this too long and simply decided to get straight to the point.

"Megaman is stranded on a satellite deep in space and we need to go rescue him!" Tron crossed her arms impatiently, glaring back at the old man. "Okay? Do you need any more clarification then that? Because, if you do we're going to be stuck here for a while listening to her-" Tron jabbed a thumb over towards Roll, "-talk."

"Well, well!" The Guildmaster laughed with a toothy grin. "You sure seem very anxious to see him again aren't you?"

"H-huh?" A blush blossomed on the pirate's face.

"I won't go any further on the matter than that." The Guildmaster said with an understanding nod. He saw the look on Roll's face and chuckled. "And I'm sure that you share the same sentiments don't you, Ms. Caskett?"

"W-well...I, er..." Roll twiddled her thumbs behind her back where nobody could see them as a blush crept up on her face as well. She shook off the embarrassment before Tron could and decided to take charge of the conversation's direction before it could veer off course from their objective. "P-please sir, enough of that. We must access the ruins immediately."

"Very well." The old man submitted to their wishes. "We owe everything to Megaman."

...

...

"Well that took long enough." Tron grumbled, walking to the ledge of the access tunnel with Roll. Johnny managed to get a hold of a crane from the mechanic so they could lower the steel container holding the Gustaff in to the Ruins without a hitch.

"At least we managed to get access without too much trouble." Roll said with a sigh. "We can be thankful for that." Roll's eyes lit up when she remembered something. "By the way, you know that the ruins are submerged in water right?"

"Doesn't take a genius to know that." Tron replied, placing her hands on her hips before she turned her head to call to a few of her servbots.

"Yes Ms. Tron?" Numbers 1, 2, 10, 14, 24 and 28 ran to their mother to receive their orders.

"Are you guys all equipped?"

"Yes, Ms. Tron!" The servbots replied.

"Great! Then let's get this job done!" Tron pumped her fist in the air to get them pumped up.

"Alright!" #24 cheered.

"A new mission!" #28 jumped up and down.

"I won't disappoint you!" #1 declared.

"You can depend on me!" #2 cried out excitedly. Tron clasped her hands delightedly at their excitement and turned her attention to Roll and Data.

"We'll spot you." Roll gave her a thumbs up. "Data says he knows the coordinates of the parts we're looking for."

"The parts?" Tron questioned curiously.

"The parts of Megaman's escape shuttle!" Data clarified for her. "He used one to escape from Elysium after he failed to shut down Eden the first time. It should be buried in the chamber that he kept himself hidden in before Barrel found us."

"Found you?" Tron started to feel a bit confused.

"It's a long story." Roll said with a nod of her head. "Well, then...good luck!"

"That's something that I don't need!" Tron assured Roll with a cocky smirk before turning away from her to approach the ladder leading down to the ruins. She heard the dull clank of the container finally hitting the bottom. "Let's get going guys!"

"Yes, Ms. Tron!"

"I'm depending on you!" The pirate called out to Roll as she began her descent.

"Don't worry about that! I've got ya covered!" Roll watched as Tron finally disappeared in to the darkness below and she felt a bit of nausea overtake her. "...This isn't going to be easy."

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

_Man, it's really a shame that there aren't that many "Legends" fics out there. Oh well, the most I can do is try to change that even if I'm just contributing one more fic to the few._ _Anyway this is just the beginning so naturally the heat hasn't picked up just yet but I assure you that I'll try to build up on that very quickly, and as for the pairings, I'll try to make things interesting!_

_This is my first Megaman fic...might be my last too...Let me know what you think! Heh..._

**_Traingham..._**


	2. My Wings Wither

Disclaimer: I do not own the Megaman franchise...I own nothing...well, you get the point...

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc One: Elysium Rescue Arc_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

**_Episode Two: Welcome back to Reality_****_

* * *

_**

There was just something about traversing the flooded halls of an undersea ruins that could make a person realize some things. Now Tron knew that she basically thrust herself in to this situation by willingly taking the dip in to the undersea ruins with her Gustaff but why was Roll up on the surface doing nothing else but giving her directions and she was down her risking her life? Could this really be considered an equal effort when that blonde was safe and sound and she was in danger of being lunged at by the terrible reaverbots that guarded these halls?

"You owe me big time Megaman..." Tron muttered under her breath as she entered another corridor with her faithful servbot squad surrounding the Gustaff to protect their mother. So far there was no sign of any reaverbots but the pirate knew that they were just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. She'd been on enough digs to know that these robots kept on getting smarter with each new "problem" that chose to brave the dark depths of their home.

"Well?" Tron tapped the red button on her headset to speak with Roll on the surface. "Have you gotten any suspicious activity yet? A giant red dot or something?"

_"Nothing up here."_ Was Roll's reply. _"Data says that Megaman's ruins is somewhere on the third basement level."_

"Then we're close." Tron grinned as she pushed forward on the controls to get the Gustaff moving a bit faster. She had to admit that the thought of reaching her goal was exciting. The quicker she got what they needed, the quicker she could bring back Megama-NO! No, no, no! She was not getting excited over that idiot! Why would she want to bring back that dull witted guy anyway? All he'd do is run back to his manipulative blonde as soon as they brought him back anyway! "Oooooh! It really ticks me off to see him so cheerful whenever he hears "HER" voice."

_"Is something the matter Tron?"_ Roll suddenly asked in her soft, soothing voice. It was the complete opposite of Tron's over energetic voice that Megaman had come to associate with the word "DANGER" or maybe even, "Oh my gawd. When do I ever get to just relax?"

"Nothing..." Tron replied calmly. She stopped the Gustaff when her and the servbots came to a large door with two rather sturdy bolts linking it shut. Obviously no one had ever gotten through this door for a while which brought up the question of just how did Barrel find Megaman? It was a good thing the girls didn't find out that the Guildmaster had an "annoying" little tunnel sealed off some time ago just about the time Megaman and Roll had been stranded on Kattleox...hint, hint... "Alright guys! Get to work!"

"Yes, Ms. Tron!" The servbots complied in unison before running to the door to get to work. They all began to melt the slots with their lasers until they heard the dull creak of the large steel door. Tron grinned with satisfaction and wrenched open the chamber door with the Gustaff's powerful arms. She praised her children to their delight and pushed on forward when suddenly she heard something cutting through the water at a frightening speed. "!"

"I'm on it!" Tron flipped on a switch on her right control and the Gustaff's dual cannons shifted in the reaverbot's direction. The marine monstrosity opened it's mouth and let out a metallic screech before zeroing in on Tron's position.

_"Tron, I'm getting something on my radar!" _Roll warned the pirate just as she let loose on the shark like reaverbot. The plasma shots that the dual cannons discharged bounced off the reaverbot's fortified armor and Tron was forced to lunge forward to grab ahold of it just before it could close it's razor sharp teeth around her Gustaff's midsection.

"Feisty, huh?" Tron taunted as the Gustaff's hands grabbed ahold of the Reaverbot's upper and lower jaw with a reverberating clank. She turned her attention away from her grappling match with her current opponent when she heard something else coming from the darkness. "Guys? Some assistance would be just great, ya know?"

"Yes Ms. Tron!" # 1 nodded as he switched on the lights mounted on both of his shoulder's. Tron inwardly wished he never did, however, when she realized that the shark reaverbot she was grappling with now was nothing in compare to the lobster-like reaverbot that was lumbering in their direction. "Number 28!" # 1 called to his comrade.

"Yes, number 1?"

"You're up!"

"Got ya!" # 28 nodded to # 14 and he mounted his grenade launcher on 28's shoulder as he stood behind him. #28 pulled the trigger and they both braced themselves for the powerful recoil when an explosive shell rocketed towards the large intimidating reaverbot that was still lumbering towards them. When the explosive shell made impact with the lobster reaverbot and it staggered until it crashed against the side of the chamber.

"HA!" Tron cried out when she was finally able to rip the shark reaverbot in two. She turned her attention to their other adversary, which was still recovering from the grenade and switched on the Gustaff's boosters to send herself jetting towards it. "Let's go!" The Gustaff's right arm turned in to a buster cannon and she proceeded to unload on the large reaverbot as her servbot's continued to bombard it with grenades. Tron kept her aim steady as she moved across the chamber until they finally subdued the titanic reaverbot.

"Alright! Good job guys!"

"Thank you, Ms. Tron!"

"But don't slack off just yet!" Tron immediately shot them down before they could completely bask in the good feeling that her praise offered them. They all moaned like little children at her stern words. "We've still got a lot of work to get done. There has to be more of those reavebots ahead if we met them here!" She had the Gustaff land on the floor again so she could head over to the door on the other side of the chamber. This one opened automatically when it sensed the presence of Tron's mech.

"How inviting..." Tron purred with a cat like grin. "Let's get moving guys!"

"Yes, Ms. Tron!"

**_[ Turning to Roll and Data up on the surface... ]  
_**

_"ATTACK! YEAH, OH YEAH! TAKE THIS AND THIS AND-HUH? YOU WANT SOME TOO? DIE REAVERBOT SCUM! HYAAAA! NUMBER 24, WILL YOU DO THE HONORS?"_

"YES, MS. TRON!"

Roll and Data cringed when some more battle cries followed along with some rather ear splitting explosions. They both heard the ominous metallic roars from the reaverbots that the lovely pirate was facing but they didn't last too long since another explosion usually followed afterward, marking their death. _"GOOD JOB, GUYS! ONWARDS TO THE NEXT CHAMBER! WE CAN TAKE THESE MEASLY REAVERBOTS ON ANY TIME OF DAY!"_

_"Yes, Ms. Tron!" _Came the reply of Tron's faithful servbots over the sound feed from the comm-link. Roll was relieved that her and Data were doing the spotting from one of the "Spotter Rooms" in one of the many Digger Guild's departments. The walls were sound proof so other diggers couldn't eaves drop on the discoveries of other digger teams but Roll lowered the volume just a tad bit so they wouldn't have to sit through all of Tron's yells and screams.

"She's even more trigger happy than Megaman!" Roll groaned as she ran both of her hands through her prickly blonde hair. After having to repair Megaman's overheated buster cannon a few times after every mission Roll started to pay attention to the nature of how Megaman would dispatch his enemies. Sometimes she wasn't sure if he knew what the meaning of "Over kill" was.

"Well...she is a pirate." Data remarked hesitantly as though he was afraid Tron might have heard him. She didn't seem to react well to most of the Pirate stereotypes out there. There was that one time that Roll was kidding around with Tron during one of their man attempts to bring back Megaman. She said something along the lines of, "ARRRGH" when Tron got frustrated and that only sent the Bonne in to another fit of annoyance.

"What's the progress so far?" Roll suddenly asked Data anxiously. "We are close to the chamber right? I don't know how much longer Megaman could possibly hold up in Elysium with all the time we've wasted!"

"Don't worry, Roll! Megaman isn't exactly human you know?" Data laughed lightly. "He just eats and drinks because he enjoys it." The mechanical monkey got the hint that Roll was no longer in the mood for leisure chit chat when he saw the frustrated expression on her face. "Um...well..." Data observed the radar and saw a large blue dot followed by a group of other blue small dots representing Tron and her servbots enter a room full of red dots representing the horde of reaverbots that were waiting patiently for them inside. "That isn't goo..." Data trailed off when more than half of the red dots disappeared seconds later; the sound of Tron's yells coming faintly from the comm-link.

"She seems to have everything under control." Roll mumbled when the remaining red dots disappeared as well. "It's a wonder how she isn't able to handle Megaman the same way she handles those reaverbots. Brutal doesn't describe it."

"Right..." Data stole a glance at Roll. It looks like her feelings for Tron weren't going to change anytime soon. "Increase the volume for a moment please."

"Alright." Roll did as she was asked and handed the communicator to Data.

"Ms. Tron!" Data addressed the pirate.

_"Yeah? What is it?" _Tron asked, sounding a little out of breath from her blood thirsty cries of battle.

"In the chamber beyond the one you are about to enter you must access the door on your left! The one on the right and the other side of the next chamber will trap you in an elevator that will force you back up to the second basement level!"

_"Thanks for the warning! By the way..."_ Tron trailed off to wait for a response from Roll.

"Yeah, Tron?" Roll asked.

_"Are there anymore signs of Reaverbots?"_

**_[ Turning back to Tron... ]  
_**

_"The radar isn't giving me anymore readings." _Roll replied over the comm-link in the cockpit of the Gustaff.

"That's too bad." Tron sounded a little disappointed. "Well, it can't be helped!" Tron pushed forward on the controls to get the Gustaff moving again toward the other side of the chamber so they could enter the next room ahead. Her lips curled in to a small smile as she pictured the debt Megaman would be in for her help. She wasn't going to let him off that easy when they brought him back from Elysium. "Your services for my services Blue boy..." Tron's voice took on a libidinous tone as her eyes twinkled with mischief. She crossed over to the next room and headed for the door on the left just as Data told her...or was it the right? "...It was the left." Tron mumbled to herself, making her decision.

The door opened for her to reveal a descending corridor. She had one of the servbots shine a light in to the darkness making one last chamber door visible. "Ah! There we are." Tron gasped with delight.

_"That's the passage to Megaman's old resting chamber! I'm not sure if there are any traps set so be careful!"_ Data warned Tron.

"Why would there be traps set around here for?" Tron quirked an eyebrow in puzzlement.

_"Megaman committed treason against the Eden system! He would need something to protect him while he recovered if the Mother Units managed to find him."_

"...Now you tell me." Tron sighed. "Stay alarmed guys!" She ordered her servbot team.

"Yes Ms. Tron!"

* * *

Roll turned to Data when he was done speaking with Tron. There was just something wrong about all of this. What exactly did her grandfather have to go through to find Megaman anyway? Why didn't he mention any of this to her. He simply said that he found the young hero resting in some pod. "Data...what exactly is going on? Didn't my grandfather already pass through there?"

"I don't recall what route he took to find Megaman. My systems weren't activated until Megaman woke up." Data explained before the comm-link went on without warning.

_"So far so good!" _Tron said confidently.

* * *

Tron and the servbots reached the very bottom of the corridor without tripping any unfortunate traps. What ever system Megaman installed, it sure wasn't too effective. "Let's see now..." Tron had the Gustaff's scanners lock on to a control panel beside the chamber door. It seemed simple enough. All she needed was a code to access the chamber judging from the numbers on the key pad. Her Gustaff's bulky fingers wouldn't be able to do the job but one of her servbot's should be able to handle that little problem easily enough. "Hey Data!"

_"Yes?"_

"Is there some sort of code to enter the chamber?"

_"...Erm...let me search through my memory!" _The line went silent for a moment as Data did a scan through his memory files leaving Tron to look back at the last obstacle in her way. She tapped the armrest of her piloting seat impatiently as the wait started to stretch from a mere few seconds to a few minutes.

"HEY! Aren't you done yet?" Tron cried out.

_"...I'm, um...getting something!"_

"Then go ahead already."

_"070070_0!"

"Huh?" Tron felt a little let down by the simplicity of the code. "Are you sure that's it?" When Data confirmed it she stroked her chin with one hand and thought about it. Why was this bothering her so much? "Whatever." Tron shrugged her shoulders and had number 2 step up to input the code.

"I'm on it!" # 7 saluted to her and floated over to the control panel to input the code. The panel read out the numbers on the screen in a sexless voice and went silent for a moment before confirming, "ACCESS GRANTED." Vents opened on the walls in the corridor to drain the passage of water and Tron heard a series of doors opening behind the chamber door in their way before the main chamber door allowed them entry. Tron made the Gustaff curl tightly before having it roll forward through the narrow passage made fit for a person. The servbots were able to traverse the passage easily because of their size so it wasn't a problem.

"I'm here!" Tron's eyes went wide with wonder when she entered the main chamber. It was enormous! The interior was dome like with some type of alloy lined over the walls for protection from the pressure of the water outside. In the very center there was a cracked pod where Megaman had supposedly been resting in before Barell opened it by force judging from it's condition. "It seems to be safe in here..." Tron opened the hatch for the Gustaff and climbed out with a sigh of relief. It felt good to get out of there. "...Let's see." Tron jumped down, landing on her feet lightly before she proceeded to approach the damaged pod with her servbot squad.

"This is Megaman's old home?" #28 asked curiously.

"I don't really get it either but...I guess so." Tron answered, sounding a bit unsure of the words that left her mouth. Teisel would have been like a child in a candy store if he was in here with her. The technology in this chamber was unlike anything she had seen before. The floor was constantly glowing and fading from the series of energy networking to keep the pod functional. Hanging wires were crackling from the top of the ceiling and a large control panel was stationed in the far right corner of the chamber. "...What is that?" Tron saw some words blinking on the base foundation of the pod.

**_...PURIFIER UNIT TRIGGER RELEASED...ELDER FACTION CLASS...RESTORATION DISTRUPTED...SEARCHING...SEARCHING...SEARCHING..._**

"Trigger?" Tron spoke Megaman's name softly. "What is this system searching for?"

"Ms. Tron!" #1 brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah?" Tron placed a hand on her hip as she turned her head to face him.

"We've discovered another passage!"

"Really?" Tron took a moment to glance back at the scrolling message again before she went to check out the other passage. "...It leads up." Tron observed astutely, looking through the passage. The passage gate was unlocked by someone before but at the end of the passageway there was cement. "...Someone blocked it off."

_"What's the matter Tron?" _Roll's voice came from Tron's headset.

"...I've accessed the chamber...but..."

_"But?"_

"There's something really creepy about this place."

_"What about it?"_

"Well..." Tron shook the feeling off quickly. "Never mind about that." Tron turned to her servbots, "Prepare the Gustaff for excavation! We're going to take a look underground!"

"Yes, Ms. Tron!" The servbots went off to do as she ordered.

_"Ms. Tron! Are you alright?" _Data asked.

"Yeah...I'll tell you all about this later." Tron slipped on her goggles. "It's time to get down to business."

* * *

**_[ Setting our sights on Elysium... ]  


* * *

_**

Yuna watched on from afar with Sera as Megaman transferred all of the energy sustaining his life in to the titanic form of Sera's former shell. Yuna clutched both of her hands against her chest tightly from watching the young hero go through with the exhausting process or at least it looked exhausting from the way Megaman was breathing. His breaths sounded shallow as the sweat trailed down his forehead. Exhausting wasn't even the word to describe what he was feeling right now. It didn't do the excruciating pain that was replacing the life in his body any justice. He felt as though his very soul was being ripped away from his body forcefully, which oddly enough was the one thing he found himself contemplating as he spent his last moments fading away.

_Do I have a soul to call my own or am I just another machine like those reaverbots? _Megaman found himself thinking back to the time he had come to search for the final key to Elysium. He had to ask permission from the priest first. He remembered donating to the church and receiving the priest's blessings.

_Do...I...have...a soul? Does Sera or Yuna have a soul? Did the Master give me a soul or am I just another creation? _Megaman fell to his knees but he kept his hand pressed against Sera's shell. He started to pant now as his chest began to constrict along with his throat.

"It's happening..." Sera said as she watched the color slowly drain from Megaman's hair. The brown slowly dissipated to be consumed by the color of pure white snow. "He's giving away his final reserve of energy."

"MEGAMAN!" Yuna cried out but Sera placed a hand in front of her fellow unit to keep her from approaching the purifier unit. "Why won't you allow him to stop? Hasn't he given up enough already?"

"You're allowing your emotion to get the best of you. This is why such things are not meant for us." Sera said coldly but the lone tear that was threatening to slip down her face betrayed that.

"Sera!" Yuna turned a fierce glare upon her but it didn't seem to phase her.

"Hey." Megaman called to both of them faintly. "Hey...can you hear me?"

"Trigger?" Sera stepped forward to hear him out. Yuna followed closely to stand beside him as well. "You wanted to tell us something?"

"Yeah..." Megaman nodded weakly. "I want you to explain everything...to my friends...I..." Megaman paused as if to consider his next words. "I don't...want them to get worried."

"Megaman-"

"Wait..." Megaman cut Yuna off. "I'm not finished..."

"Go on." Sera urged him on.

"I want you to tell Roll...that I'm sorry for leaving her like this...I promised her...tell her..." Megaman found himself shedding tears. "...That I never meant for it to be this way...I still want...to help her with so much..." Megaman closed his eyes and began to sob."So, so much...but I'm not sure if that will be possible...after I lose my memory...I don't know how I'll behave towards her!"

"Calm down." Sera told him.

"But I can't! I...can't calm down!"

"You'll waste your energy faster if you don't Trigger."

"Just tell her...I'm sorry...and Tron. Tell Tron that I'm...sorry too." Megaman steadied himself. "She'll probably get mad but...I hope she'll understand. I-I know she'll understand..." He found himself fading and Yuna could see the light that filled his brilliant eyes slowly dull from it's emerald green to a dead gray. "And tell her to please...please make the right choices. I don't want...her to be a criminal..." Megaman finally released his hold on the shell and fell backwards. Sera and Yuna were immediately down on the floor beside him to hold his hands.

"Forgive me..." Megaman said softly.

"You've already been forgiven Trigger." Sera told him.

"No...It's my fault that Geetz and Gatz are dead..."

"No." Yuna cooed to him soothingly. "They fought to protect us til the end. They did their duty and you did yours."

"I just feel...guilty." Megaman turned his head to the side before he spoke his final words. "I just want to...make everything right again..." Yuna threw herself against him with tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close as she buried her face in to his shoulder. She knew he would come back but he wouldn't be the same person she had grown to become fond of over the time she had known him before this entire mess.

"Well..." Yuna looked to Sera furiously. "He made his sacrifice."

"Yuna..." Sera began but Yuna didn't give her time to speak any further.

"Just do what you must already!" Yuna furrowed her eyebrows. "Do it now!"

* * *

**_[ Turning back to Roll and Tron's situation... ]_**

Roll polished off the sweat on her forehead with her hand before going back to work on the engine with her wrench. Tron was busy with her two brothers plating the exterior of the shuttle with the assistance of Bleucher's men. Everyone was surprised to find that both girls had actually set their differences aside and worked together successfully enough to attain the parts needed to reach Elysium, however, they wasted no time with questions. Megaman had been stranded up in space for a while and they weren't about to add on to that time because of their shock.

Soon enough the sun started to sink into the horizon and late hours had begun to take its course over the blue sky, gradually coloring it with the darkness of the evening . The stars glittered in the night sky along with the blinking lights from the space station high above them and the sounds of construction had yet to die out. Commands were barked out at the busy workers and the metallic screams from the equipment they used contributed to the undying racket. After Roll was done putting on the finishing touches to her engine with Tron's help they both configured it to the shuttle for some tiring hours before finally taking a breather while the other workers continued to modify the armored plates of the shuttle.

"We're almost there." Roll moaned, entering one of the many tents that were set up near the Shuttle construction site with Tron.

Both girls took a seat at the inviting table waiting for them inside and relaxed. Their bodies were aching from all the work and quite frankly they looked a mess. Roll's hair was frizzled and damp from all of the sweat earned from her hard work and her clothes were ruined from the grease and oil smudged on her during her maintenance. Tron was no different from her damp hair which fell past her shoulders since she didn't bother to tend to her hairstyle while she was on her shift. Her clothes weren't looking too good either with the sludge that was smudged all over her as well. The pirate undid some of the buttons on her shirt to cool off and she slumped in her chair with an exhausted sigh, her chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm.

"Megaman will be surprised to find out that we did all of this together." Tron giggled. Had anyone just met both of the girls they would not have known the animosity that was once shared between them. Of course, this truce was only temporary and was only destined to wither out as soon as Megaman was back on Terra.

"No..." Roll grinned as she imagined Megaman's smiling expression when he would see her waiting for him as he walked out of the shuttle. "...I'm sure he would have expected us to join forces."

"You think so?" Tron was surprised to hear those words come out of her rival's mouth but it made her feel some warmth inside to hear that Megaman would have faith in her. Maybe when he stepped out of the shuttle he would have a smile in reserve for her. _And then I'll spend our time together telling you about how I risked my life for you. _Maybe she would even be able to make him pledge his life to her. Oh, what a pleasure that would be for Tron! "I don't know what to do when I see him again..."

"Well, I do." Roll said confidently. "I'll hug him tight and have a nice dinner prepared for him!" Roll neglected to mention that Megaman was the cook on the flutter. Every time she had her occasional chance to cook she either ordered take out or whipped up something nearly toxic, but Tron definitely didn't need to know anything about that.

"You cook?" Tron sounded a bit skeptical.

"W-well, of course I do!" Roll blushed before returning the look and asking, "Do you cook?"

"Yeah." Tron answered casually. "What do you expect? I have two brothers to feed."

"Oh...yeah..." Roll slid her right hand up and down her left arm when an awkward silence followed. Maybe this wasn't the right subject to pick up on. "So...what are you going to do after this?"

"You mean after we bring Megaman back?"

"Yeah."

Tron crossed her arms and thought about her question. Teisel told her that they needed to gather another crack load of zenny to rebuild the Gesellchaft again so that'll most likely be the next thing on her "To do" list. _That means I'll be pulling off some jobs again since Teisel's clothing store isn't doing so well on it's own. I wonder if that means I'll also be facing off against Megaman again just like old times. He always manages to show up whenever I'm in the middle of business. _For some reason the thought made her grin. Despite the usual outcome of her duels with Megaman she always enjoyed her meetings with him. It was always exciting for her and it pushed her through the limits to try even harder to best him whenever they had another rematch.

She blinked a few times when she realized that Roll was still waiting for an answer and shoved her thoughts aside. "I'll just be on my way again." She answered.

"Really?" Roll tried to sound disappointed but Tron saw through her ploy.

"Yeah...I mean it's not like I have a place here with you Casketts."

"I guess not."

"But maybe..." Tron decided to do a little messing around with the blonde engineer. "...If Megaman begs me to stay I'll consider it. He owes me for risking my life in the Nino ruins anyway."

"Well you don't have to worry about that!" Roll retorted quickly. She inwardly cursed herself when she let that one slip out. Maybe she said that a little too forcefully.

"What do you mean by that?" Tron raised an eyebrow. She caught Roll when she averted her eyes and scowled. "Does it bother you that Megaman just might want me to stay around?"

"Well, why would he?" Roll shot back.

"You never know! Maybe he's got a thing for me!"

"For you?"

"Yeah! I'm a whole lot more appealing than you!"

"Don't even dream of it!"

Data stood outside the tent eaves dropping on both girls as their calm conversation exploded with shouts and insults. He knew this little peace between them wasn't going to last very long. It was only a matter of time before the subject of Megaman got them both fired up again. Data looked up at Elysium and it's blinking lights for a moment with a laugh. "At least we have what we need now. Those girls can't set us back any longer."

**_[ The Next Day... ]  
_**

The shuttle departed for the space colony of Elysium as soon as it struck dawn. Bleucher, Barrel, and Teisel decided to take the mission with Data as their guide since Roll and Tron were definitely the wrong candidates for the rescue operation. Bon stayed with Tron to keep her calm while she awaited their arrival and Roll was sitting on the roof of the Flutter in wait. After their fight last night, both girls had not been on good terms again. The tension was simply overwhelming whenever Tron and Roll managed to be present in the same room and it did well to unsettle everyone around them.

"Today is the day." Roll whispered.

"He'll be here today..." Tron thought aloud.

"What will I do?" Roll felt discouraged. "What will I say?"

"Should I stay when he comes back?" Tron laid against the green grass of the hillside facing the launch site with Bon standing beside her. "I don't know what to do anymore."

"Huh?" Roll saw a flicker in the sky and stood up. "Is that them?"

"Is that them?" Tron saw the flicker from the hillside as well.

"IT IS THEM!" They both cried out aloud. Roll rushed down from the Flutter to reach the landing site while Tron rushed from the hillside to do the same. Bon tried to keep up with his older sister, but the lovely pirate seemed to be compelled by some unseen force as her legs became too blurry to even make out at the speed she was sprinting. Roll skidded down the hill and turned her attention to Tron when she realized that she wasn't alone in this welcoming party. The blonde engineer narrowed her eyes imperceptibly at Tron as her rival did the same and sprinted for all she was worth.

"You're not going to one up me..." Tron growled under her breath. She looked to the gate that blocked entry in to the landing site before stealing one last glance at Roll. "I'm gonna make it first!" She managed to put some distance between Roll and herself, reaching the gate, but her hands were trembling so hard with excitement that it was a challenge in itself to get it open.

_Come on, come on! Not now! _Tron looked over her shoulder to check on Roll's progress as her hands fumbled with the I.D recognition swipe. She swiped the card uneasily and fumed when she realized that she had been swiping her I.D on the wrong side the entire time. "Come on..." Tron grinned when she finally got it right, however...

"Ha, ha!" Roll cried out triumphantly as she rushed right past Tron when the gate opened for her.

"What the he-" Tron snapped out of her stupor and pumped her legs for all they were worth. She looked up to see the shuttle coming in fast and came to a skidding halt. That didn't look too good. "It's gonna crash!" Tron saw Roll come to a halt as well before turning on her heel to come running back.

"Brace yourself!" Roll warned. Tron opened her mouth to respond, but moments later she was thrown back when the shuttle made impact! Bon, who had been pursuing them all along caught his sister before she shot past him with one arm and caught Roll with the other arm. He stood his ground against the shock waves as they passed through and finally relaxed when it was all over.

"L-let me go!" Tron demanded, flailing her legs and arms.

"Babuuu?" Bon asked skeptically.

"Yeah! Let me down!" Tron demanded a final time before Bon obeyed her. As soon as her feet touched the ground she was off running again. "Hold on to Roll!" With that she was a mere speck in the distance.

"WHAT?" Roll fumed. "Let me go Bon!"

No response...

"NOW!"

Bon looked to the side...

"...P-please! Don't do this to me! I need to see Megaman!" Roll pleaded with tears stinging her eyes. Bon found himself submitting to the girl's wishes, setting her back down on her feet, but- "Thanks a bunch, sucker!" Roll was suddenly herself again as she made a dash for the crash site, leaving Bon to stand there reflecting over what he had just done. Yeah...Tron was seriously going to have her way with him when she got back. On the bright side...wait, no...there was no bright side to that.

"Babu Babuu." Bon turned around and started to make his escape. At least he could hold off his punishment for a day or two; just enough time for Teisel to convince Tron to let him off the hook. Right now aforementioned pirate had neared the crash site with Roll following not far behind. The crater, surprisingly enough, wasn't as big as she expected it to be. Half of the shuttle was buried underneath the rubble and mass of concrete and dirt, but the hatch was above ground at an odd angle so as to allow those who were inside to get out.

"Hey!" Roll yelled at Tron but her anger fizzled away when she heard the roaring engines of some trucks behind her. She whipped around just in time for two trucks to rush past her along with a group of medics and Bleucher's men. Two ambulances accompanied by a few jeeps followed, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake. "That was fast." Roll turned back to the crash site as the shuttle was hosed down. "Are they alright?"

The hatch was forcibly removed and the medic and rescue squad entered the shuttle to bring everyone out. The first was Teisel who had been covered in soot. His eyes were blazing with fury as the medics hauled him out and he broke away from them. "W-where's Tron? Get Tron away from here!" He bellowed. "Get her away from here now!"

"Teisel?" Tron ran to her older brother. "What's going?" She supported Teisel since his footing was a bit uneven.

"N-nothing!" Teisel replied quickly as he pointed ahead. "W-why don't we just meet everyone up at Roll's Flutter, huh?"

"Don't be crazy!" Tron let go of Teisel's arm, almost causing him to fall over and ran to the shuttle where the squad of Medics were tending to the crew.

"Tron!" Teisel called out to her, but she ignored him. Then to make matters worse Roll ran past him. "Roll!" He cried, reaching out to her to stop her from getting any closer to the shuttle, but his voice fell to deaf ears. Well, this wasn't going to do anything now was it? The older Bonne slumped over and covered his ears to spare himself of what was to follow next.

"Roll!" Barrell called to his granddaughter when he saw her approaching them. "Return to the Flutter!"

"What do you mean, grandpa? I want to see Megaman!" Roll demanded. "You brought him ba-"

"HEY!" Roll and Barrel turned their attention to the source of the scream to see Tron being carried away by some of the rescue personnel. "Let me go! What's wrong with him?" She kicked her legs to break free, but the men holding her were much stronger than she was and kept a firm hold around her waist and shoulders.

That was all it took to send the blonde engineer into panic, "Megama-"

"No Roll..." Barrel held her back with a hand when she moved forward. "Just meet us at the Flutter."

"No-"

"Now!" The retired digger ordered her harshly. "Why won't you listen, girl? I'm telling you thins for your own..." He stopped in mid-sentence when Bleucher placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, old friend." Bleucher told him calmly. "You can't hide him from her forever." He turned to Roll to give her a confirming nod and the blonde engineer ran past them.

"She'll be devastated." Barrel muttered.

Roll pushed through the medics and the workers that were crowded around the shuttle and gasped when she saw Sera and Yuna. Sera was in her respective body, restored to its original form and Yuna was in her own body as well, holding Matilda in her arms. From the looks of it the older woman was still unconscious.

"M-mom?" She rushed over to Yuna and her mother. "Mom! Are you alright?"

"She is still in a comatose state, dear." Yuna informed her. "She should come out of it within a few days. It's been a long time since I've been in my own body."

"And y-you?" Roll turned a confused look upon Sera who stared back at her with mild interest. " What are you still doing here?"

"You mean why am I not dead?" Sera asked coldly. "I see now that Trigger's intention was never to kill me. That is the reason I still stand before you now."

"And Megaman? W-where is he?" Roll tried to steady her heartbeat, but both Mother unit's stayed silent without offering an answer to her question. This welled up a deep fear in Roll and she clenched both of her hands at her sides before asking again, "Where is Megaman?"

Yuna turned her head slightly, avoiding her eyes...

"Megaman!" Roll demanded again, throwing down her fist nervously, "Where is Megaman!"

"You see, dear-"

"Don't call me that! Where is Megaman?" Roll cut Yuna off angrily.

"He's here." Sera answered. "They must be bringing him out of the shuttle right now." She saw Roll start off for the shuttle and quickly added, "However!" Roll stopped dead in her tracks. That was definitely not a comforting thing to hear. "You may not like what you see."

"What...are you..." Roll died off in the middle of her sentence and shook her head. She clutched her hands to her chest and continued to shake her head before crying out, "NO! No, no, no!" She turned away from both mother unit's and walked quickly to the shuttle. "M-megaman! Megaman, answer me!"

"Megaman!" Tron joined in with Roll's cries for the young hero. "You answer me right now! Hey-" Tron pushed pass a few more medics until she finally reached the hatch where two medics were carefully pulling out some white-haired youth. Who else had they brought along with them? "Mega..." Tron regarded the young man's face intensely. Her eyes wandered over the blue armored suit that he had on and she almost lost it. "Megaman? Megaman, is that you?"

"Keep clear, miss." One of the Medics told Tron as they cleared a path for a stretcher. They laid Megaman on it and buckled him down before they started to wheel him away in the direction of the ambulances. Roll caught a glimpse of him as well and held her hands over her mouth in utter horror. What had gone on up there in Elysium all this time? Why was his hair the color of snow and more importantly why wasn't he conscious? Both girls could not begin to fathom what was happening at that moment, but there was one thing that they heard that almost sent their worlds crashing down on them.

"What's the status on Megaman?" The chief leader of the Medical team asked.

"He isn't breathing sir."

_...He isn't breathing..._

_...He isn't breathing?_

_...He wasn't dead...there was no way that Megaman could have been dead..._

_He wasn't dead...Megaman couldn't die..._

_Right?_

**_...Right?...

* * *

_**

**_To Be Continued..._**


	3. From the Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own the Megaman franchise...I own nothing...well, you get the point...

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Interlude One: Maverick_****_  
_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

**_Episode Three: Memory Reboot_****_

* * *

_**

"Welcome back Commander, Trigger." A female medical reploid greeted the blue bomber as he took a seat in an egg like chair across from her. The name given to her was "MED" and she was one of the medical reploids assigned to doing studies on the "Second Purifier Unit" of Elysium. She specialized in the psychological field and it was her job to keep records of every Irregular hunter's mental status. If there were an abnormalities shown in their psychoanalytical tests then she was to report it immediately to the "EDEN" council. They would judge whether the reploid showing abnormalities was fit for duty anymore or if they were to be shutdown for study. The mystery of why reploids would suddenly go maverick was a mystery that had long been unsolved.

"Good morning MED." Trigger greeted back, folding his hands on his lap. His hair was spiked and rather unruly, falling down to his shoulders. He was Commander of the Second Unit and one of the Irregular hunters that all the other reploids looked up to. He was even popular amongst the commanders of all the other Units. He was reliable in almost every situation and his performance was simply superb, however, his only problem was his inability to eliminate "Mavericks" on sight. He wasn't the type to kill quickly unlike the commander of the First Purifier Unit, Nero, whom was known to be quite ruthless to the enemy.

"Did you have a restful sleep?" She asked.

"With the exception of the occasional nightmare, It was fine." Trigger replied.

"Hmm...that nightmare again?"

"Yes." Trigger replied. "I'm not sure why but it always manages to creep on me in my sleep." Trigger placed his hand on his forehead with a sigh. "And it never changes..."

"Has it been affecting your performance?" MED inquired.

"No, not at all."

"Well, that's a relief." MED tapped a few keys on her Holo-board and the screen floating beside her responded. "And what of your relations?"

"With who?"

"The people you know." She folded her hands. "Take your partner for instance."

"Oh, Alia?"

"Yes. She is your Second in command correct?"

"Yes."

"Anything to note? Have you two ever had any problems with each other in the past? For example: has she ever gone against you on a decision you've made or has she ever placed your life in danger?"

"No." Trigger replied. "We work with each other quite well. I sense nothing wrong with her and she is the perfect partner."

"I see...and what of, The Master?"

"What about The Master?" Trigger asked.

"Well, you have told me that you've been speaking with him lately haven't you?" MED asked.

"Yes. I don't see anything important to note of our conversations."

"Nothing at all? Has he spoken to you about anything that disturbs you?"

"No." Trigger watched her tap a few more keys on her holo-board and tightened the grip on his folded hands. He didn't like to talk on this certain subject. What, The Master felt for him was a deep and confusing friendship that he himself did not quite understand. He didn't understand why he had taken such an interest in him or why he spoke to him about things that were so unimportant. Whatever they spoke of never had much of an impact on things around them. It didn't serve much of a purpose at all. Questions like, "How was your day?" or "What do you feel whenever you think of how humans live?", did nothing for Megaman. Every question did nothing more than fill his mind with odd ideas.

"Very well..." MED nodded slightly and turned back to Trigger. "Don't worry Commander, this will all be over in a moment. I know how much these meetings bother you."

"Not at all." He lied to her but the unconvinced smirk on her face told him just that.

"My final question is in regard to your work." MED watched the purifier unfold his hands and grip his knees. "The other commanders report that you have a slight problem with carrying out your duties as an irregular hunter."

"Does this have anything to do with my refusal to kill?" Trigger asked harshly. His tone of voice didn't faze the medical reploid one bit.

"Yes." She replied. "You know what you are required to do when you are faced with a "Maverick". Whether they chose to become an irregular or not, they still pose a threat and I'm sure that you are quite aware of that since you are the one putting your life on the line."

"...Yes."

"Then what is your issue, Commander?"

"My issue?" Trigger echoed her.

"Yes...your issue." MED tapped a few keys on the Holo-board again. "You are the only unit who has shown such signs of hesitation when it comes to killing."

"I..." Trigger averted his eyes. "...don't..."

"You don't..." MED trailed off for him to finish.

* * *

**_[ Yosyonke Hospital... ]

* * *

_**

"It's really odd." the doctor said to Barrel and Bleucher as he placed a hand on Megaman's forehead. "We aren't getting any life readings from him but his temperature hasn't dropped at all. This...is unheard of."

"Well, Megaman isn't exactly your normal variety human." Bleucher humored the doctor.

"I can see that." The doctor responded with a look of perturbation gracing his face. "We can keep him on the respirator for six months at most. At that time I can only hope that he'll be out of his comatose state." The doctor turned to them somberly. "As much as I hate to say it, Megaman isn't the only one who is in need of help."

The three men turned to the door when they heard some hostile banging against it. They saw Teisel holding Tron back through the window in an attempt to keep the young pirate from breaking in. Roll was sitting in one of the cushioned chairs with her red cap caste over her eyes so no one would pay her any mind while Yuna and Sera were standing side by side looking rather neutral despite the nature of Megaman's situation.

"Are all of them out there for him?"

"That's right." Barrel replied gruffly. "It was a good thing we kept this under wraps from the rest of the world or this hospital would have been over run with all of Megaman's friends." Barrel paused for a moment to consider his words. "Actually this whole town would have been packed to the seams."

"They'd probably have you strangled for putting a limit on Megaman's stay." Bleucher told the doctor with a grin. "I'm prepared to spend all of my funds give this young man a fighting chance at living again."

"I see." the doctor nodded with a grin. "I suppose I better watch myself then." The tall, raven haired man walked to the door and opened it after making sure that Teisel held Tron at a safe distance. "I think it's time to let them see him." With that the doctor opened the door and left them to their own business. Roll perked up when she heard the dull click of the door opening and looked up to regard the hospital room. She couldn't get a clear view of the bed Megaman was laying in so she was somewhat relieved. Something in her was afraid to see the young hero. Tron on the other hand finally managed to break away from her older brother and wasted no time in entering the room.

"Oh, what's the use?" Teisel grumbled. "There's nothing that will stop that stubborn girl." The older pirate turned upon Sera and Yuna to regard them. "I want to know...what happened up there while we were preparing to get you?"

"Hmph." Sera narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "Trigger told me to inform his friends about it so I might as well tell you, but right now doesn't seem to be an appropriate time." Her eyes swiveled over to Megaman's hospital room for a moment to emphasize her point. She was obviously referring to Tron's current mood. One word out of the mother unit and the young pirate was sure to vent her frustration with violence. Roll on the other hand was very quiet but Sera knew that the blonde engineer already developed a strong dislike for her and Yuna. "Perhaps when this visit is over I will tell you Trigger's parting words."

"Parting words?" Roll finally spoke up. Sera nad Yuna turned to her to see the young woman regarding them with intense eyes. Her hands were clutching her shorts and it wasn't quite noticeable but they were trembling. "You say that as if Megaman won't be coming back to us."

"You're right in saying that, Ms. Caskett." Sera replied. The Mother unit never calculated what was to follow when Roll suddenly rose up from her seat and lunged at her. She grabbed Sera by collar of her shirt and almost lifted her up off the ground. Yuna was startled by the engineer's aggressive response and Teisel felt himself just stiffen up. He wasn't good at breaking fights between females. "Do my words distress you?" Sera asked with a slight smirk.

"You..." Roll shook her head slowly as her grip on Sera's collar tightened. "I don't know why but something is telling me that you are the cause of all of this!" She surprised Yuna and Teisel when she managed to lift Sera a little higher off the ground. "I swear...If Megaman doesn't come back I'll never forgive you as long as I live. I may not be as strong or capable as he is but I'll find a way to punish you-"

"Roll!" The blonde engineer turned away from Sera when she heard Barrel call to her. The old man rushed over to her with Bleucher and tried to get her to set the mother unit down. "What are you doing? This isn't like you!" He grabbed her by the wrists and forced her to set Sera back down on her feet.

"Roll..." Bleucher tried to pry her hands from Sera's shirt collar. "Calm down and let her go." Roll showed no signs of doing as she was asked for a moment, however, she finally let go and turned away from them.

"Now, aren't you going to see Megaman?" Barrel asked her.

"Tron is in there."

"Don't worry about that." Teisel waved her off casually. "I'm sure she won't-"

"I would want to have a moment alone with him..." Roll turned her head slightly toward them and she went on, "It wouldn't be right if I didn't let her have her moment with him."

"I see." Teisel nodded with her reasoning. Meanwhile as the whole scene unfolded outside of the hospital room Tron had been standing over Megaman's silent form without a word. So much had changed about him and it scared her. His hair was white and lifeless and his eyes were dead and gray when they rushed him to the hospital room. They had to wrap a bandage around his eyes since tye couldn't get them to manually shut. His eyelids were practically "locked" in an open position, was what the nurse used to describe it. The pirate looked for a seat and spotted a small stool beside the window. She walked over to it to bring it back near the bed and took a seat. She regarded Megaman again for a moment and slowly edged her hand towards his hesitantly. She wasn't sure why but she was a little fearful of touching him. When she finally managed to place her hand over his own she gradually gripped it.

"Look at you, you idiot." Tron started off with an irritated expression. It was the same face she would usually scold her "children" with whenever they did something wrong. "You like to play the hero so much and look where it's gotten you. If you let us steal those keys from the very beginning none of this would have ever happened." Her grip steadily increased. "If you joined me instead of acting so damn righteous you could've been safe...with me but then again I guess that's why I was always so attracted to you. You, "The Blue Boy" who I could never get my hands on. Every time you refused me or beat me at my own game I just wanted to see you again that much more." She sighed and a grin crossed her lips. "You know...ever since my parents died when I was young, Teisel and Bon were the only people I ever trusted and really talked to. I spent most of my life in the sky as a pirate so I never really met other people or made the time to talk to them since every time I came to a town it was to pull off a job. You're the first person I've met that wasn't an officer of the law or just another pirate...and I know it sounds sort of pathetic but..." A blush gradually blossomed on her face. "...you're the closest thing to a friend I've ever had."

"At first I had to admit that it was just a stupid crush because of the simple things you did for me like saving me from that dog or the way you first looked at me but the more we met each other, the weirder I began to feel just thinking about you. When I thought about you my mind would suddenly be filled with ideas of the new robots I could build to beat you so in a way you were my inspiration. My heart would start to beat and I would sweat for no reason because I wouldn't know what I would say to you the next time we would cross paths." Tron's hand started to tremble. "I-I would practice my lines in the mirror...heh...stupid, huh? Teisel told me that I always glowed before we would go on another heist or attack and the truth is, it was because I always expected you to pop out of nowhere and try to save the day." She felt as though her other hand suddenly gained a life of it's own as it joined her other hand holding Megaman's hand. she looked to the side to make sure nobody was watching before going on. "But you know what pisses me off most of all? It's the fact that I'm such a coward whenever it comes to these sort of things. I'm such a coward that you have to be in a coma for me to share my feelings. That's not all but...but..." She felt tears stinging her eyes. "Y-you think that you can j-just get off this easy? She got up from her seat and started to shake him. "You still owe me a lot, you know? Y-you...the Gesselcheft! That's right, you still owe us for destroying the Gesselcheft! How are you gonna make up for that if you never wake up, huh? Not only that but I risked my life to get you back s-so this isn't fair! You still haven't accepted my offer either you jerk, so wake up already!"

Teisel heard Tron's sudden screaming from outside and decided to see what was going on. When he entered the room and walked around the other side of the curtain blocking everyone's view of the bed he was horrified to see Tron almost breaking Megaman free of the machines that were keeping him breathing. She was holding him in her arms and rocking him back and forth which was a feat in itself since the paramedics were having trouble moving him around earlier.

"TRON!" Teisel rushed forward and tried to get between her and Megaman but she was going hysterical.

"WAKE UP DAMMIT! JUST WAKE UP!"

"TRON! Let him go before you do something you'll regret!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME! HE'S GONNA WAKE UP!" Tron screamed.

"Guys!" Teisel poked his head out from the other side of the curtain and motioned frantically for Bleucher and Barrel to help him out. "Some help here?"

* * *

**_[ Returning to the Elysium Memoirs ]

* * *

_**

Trigger left MED's room with a sigh and allowed the door to hiss shut behind him before turning to walk down the hall toward the elevators. He flinched, however, when he bumped in to someone who was patiently waiting for him beside the room since he entered. The reploid he bumped in to was a slim female reploid donning the generic armor model given to all the female purifier units in a reddish-pink color. It allowed her the maneuverability she required since her body was naturally different from a male reploid an there were two orbs on her chest to make it comfortable for her well endowed bust. She had blonde hair and blue eyes which were almost always directed at Trigger. She was his closest partner and to say that she was devoted to her work was little more than a play at words. Some of the other purifiers in the unit felt that the only reason she was so good at her job was because of her devotion to Trigger rather than the work itself.

"Alia?" Trigger said her name questioningly. "How long have you been waiting out here?" When she gestured for him to walk with her, he complied with her wishes and they proceeded to walk to the elevators.

"Not long, Commander." Alia replied. She noticed the distressed look on the blue bomber's face and asked, "Are you still bothered by your sessions with MED?"

"Being in the same room with her never fails to drain me." Trigger replied. "But...why were you waiting for me anyway? Is there any trouble?"

"No. I just wanted to meet with you after you were done."

"...Alright..."

"Does that bother you?"

"Of course not." Trigger replied although something deep within him thought the complete opposite. There was something about the things she did for him that confused him to no end. They were completely unnecessary to him and yet she went out of her way to do it. Another thing that unsettled him about her was her feelings toward the humans they co-existed with. She didn't see them as beings that they were to protect and serve under. In fact she questioned the bond between reploids and humans quite a bit. So much that Trigger had his suspicions that she may have been bordering on becoming a maverick. He, however, never dared to make such an assumption unless her actions proved it to be so.

* * *

_"Commander Trigger?" Alia called the commander's name as she walked in to his quarters. The blue bomber looked up to her from the book he was reading and nodded his head slightly to let her know that she had his attention._

_"What is the matter Alia?" He asked curiously. Nobody ever entered his quarters unless it was to submit a report to him but Alia was always a different case. As he predicted, this visit would be no different from her last ones._

_"I have a question..." She eyed the seat beside Trigger and slowly made her way towards it to claim it for herself. "I felt that I should seek your wisdom."_

_"Wisdom?" Trigger echoed her last word in a questionable tone. "I must disclaim that I have any wisdom. That is something that the humans gain from pain and experience." He closed the book in his hand and set it down on the table beside him. "I am afraid that we aren't so gifted."_

_"Ah, commander." Alia shook her head as she took the seat beside him. "You hold the humans in such high regard."_

_"Excuse me?" Trigger raised an eyebrow._

_"We're the ones who risk our lives for them." Alia explained. "Should it not be held the other way around? We are the gifted beings. I don't see why we should go out of our way to protect them. We can excel what they are capable of." She went on but she stopped when Trigger shot her a stern expression._

_"You mustn't think that way. It's our natural duty to keep them from harm. We must do all in our power to ensure that they are safe from the "Irregulars" and any other sources of danger."_

_"Irregulars?" Alia questioned. "Mavericks? They use those words for those that don't bend to their will. We oppose them in any way and they call upon our own to dispose of us."_

_"Alia...you must displace such thoughts. Is that understood?" There was a pregnant silence after he issued his order and they merely stayed staring at each other until Alia nodded with a satisfied smile and answered, "Very well, Commander. I'll do it if you order it." With that final exchange she rose up from her seat beside him and left his quarters. Trigger wasn't so comfortable with her response. _

_"Alia..." He whispered._

* * *

"Commander?" Alia called to Trigger. The commander pulled away from his thoughts and turned to her.

"Yes?" He asked.

"You seem to be in deep thought."

"I am."

"May I inquire about what it may be?"

"Nothing important." Trigger stopped her. When they reached the elevator he pressed the button and they waited a moment before the door opened with a faint "_PING_". They entered and he pressed the button for the lobby so the elevator would descend to their destination."Is there anything new that I should be alerted about?" He finally asked the female reploid.

"Well, the Mother Units are rumored to take charge of the force soon. The commanders won't hold as much power as they used to." Alia replied with a look of disgust slowly making it's way over her lovely face. "I hear that they were developed different from the way we reploids were." She crossed her arms before going on, "In fact I also hear that they've been endowed with forbidden information from the Library of elders."

"They are quite knowledgeable." Trigger nodded his head.

"You've met them already?" Alia sounded surprised.

"Yes." Trigger replied.

"How are they?"

"...Interesting." He answered after taking some time to think over his answer. He wouldn't go so far as to comment on them personally. He had his experience with them before and it wasn't exactly much of a pleasure since it was awkward at most. He met the two Mother units with his fellow commander, Nero of the First Purifier unit. As the number of his unit implied, he was the First Commander, ranking one level higher than Trigger. His partner was named Iris and though she may have been very loyal to him, her relationship didn't seem as similar to Trigger's odd relationship with Alia.

* * *

_Trigger and Nero were doing their patrol of the Northern Sector of the main city of the Elysium colony. They were near The Master's residence and it did well to make the second Commander slightly nervous. Every time he met with The Master, the meeting usually left him questioning things._

_"You don't seem to be holding up too well." Nero commented on Trigger's mood. The blue bomber set his sights upon Nero with his crimson armor and long blonde hair. Unlike Trigger, he didn't utilize a buster cannon as his weapon. Rather he turned to the beam saber whenever trouble arose. "What's bothering you?"_

_"Nothing." Trigger replied._

_"Very well, I won't push on the matter." Nero reasoned. "Just don't allow your mood to get in the way of your duty. Understood?" _

_"Affirmative." Trigger nodded. "Hmm?" He stopped in his tracks when he spotted four mysterious figures approaching them up ahead. The crimson reploid turned to his fellow commander when he stopped and asked, "What's wrong now?"_

_"Have you seen them before?" Trigger asked Nero, gesturing to the people with his eyes. They all had green hair and red eyes. Two of them were males and the other two were females, not to mention they were shorter. He was going to receive his answer shortly when they finally reached them. Both commanders remained silent as the Mother units observed them with their servitor units behind them until Mistress Yuna spoke._

_"The First and Second commanders I'd assume?" She questioned them._

_"Yes ma'am." Both of them answered in unison._

_"I am Mistress Yuna." She told them, placing a hand on her chest before gesturing to Sera who had a dispassionate look gracing her face. Curiously enough, her eyes never left Trigger since they approached them. She totally seemed to disregard Nero. "This is my fellow Mother Unit, Mistress Sera."_

_"I am First Commander, Nero." The crimson reploid introduced himself._

_"And I am-"_

_"Trigger, commander of the second unit." Sera finished for him, taking Yuna and the two commander's by surprise. Geetz and Gatz didn't show any signs of reacting to anything. They simply remained as stoic as statues behind the two mother units. "I'm quite familiar with you, Trigger."_

_"Are you?" Trigger resisted the urge to massage the back of his neck._

_"Yes, you are quite infamous for your inability to carry out an execution." Sera went on coldly. "I would advise that you change that if you intend to keep your position as second commander." She looked him over one final time with her cold, calculating eyes before going on, "Other than that you seem to be the perfect reploid for the position. I've taken note of your close bond with the Master as well." Her words took Trigger aback. How did she know about all of this and more importantly why was she talking about it in front of everyone else. Did she have some sort of dislike for him?_

_"Well, Sera..." Yuna intervened. "I'm sure that they both have something very important to attend to." She turned back to Nero and Trigger before asking, "Am I right in assuming so?"_

_"Yes ma'am." Nero replied with a nod. "We're on our patrols."_

_"That is correct." Trigger agreed, his eyes never breaking away from Sera's crimson orbs. They both didn't feel the need to blink so it was quite an intense staring match._

_"You have my attention Trigger." Sera finally spoke after breaking her eye contact with him to turn back to Geetz. "Come, Geetz. There are matters to attend to."_

_"Yes Mistress Sera." He followed the short Mother unit after she brushed past Trigger._

_"It was nice meeting you two." Yuna offered them a warm smile before gesturing to Gatz to follow her as well. The two commanders watched their fleeting forms as they walked away until they couldn't be seen in the distance and turned to each other._

_"So those two were the Mother Units we've heard so much about." Nero commented, crossing his arms. "Those two reploids accompanying them didn't seem to be from our generation either."_

_"They have some sort of relation towards the Mother Units. They resembled them somewhat." Trigger observed. _

_"What do you think of them?"_

_"..Yuna was a pleasure..." Trigger took a moment to think of a way to describe Sera with. "Sera doesn't look like she'll be easy to deal with."

* * *

_

_**To Be Continued...**_

* * *

_**Next Chapter: Legends Interlude One: Maverick**_

_**Episode Four: Memory Reboot II**_

_We observe Trigger's final moments on Elysium, leading up to his actions against the "EDEN" and we take a look on what's going on in the actual world with Roll and the others. Will Megaman ever awaken, and just how will these other reploids be playing a part in the future of this story?  
_


	4. Escalation

Disclaimer: I do not own the Megaman franchise...I own nothing...well, you get the point...

_**Megaman Legends: Love Heist**_

_**Legends Interlude One: Maverick**_**_  
_**

_By Traingham_

* * *

**_Episode Four: Memory Reboot II

* * *

_**

Roll stood on the roof of the Flutter, looking out to the snow covered city of Yosyonke. The cold breeze swept her hair to the side and covered the right side of her face with bitter frost but she made no attempt to wipe it off. Her eyes were set upon the church that was built over the entrance to the last sub-ruins; the beginning of the end. Had they not struggled so hard to find that last key perhaps all of this would have never taken place. Her eyes swiveled over towards the hospital where two very important people now resided: Her mother, Matilda and Megaman. It had been two days since her last visit. Two days since she listened to Sera and Yuna deliver Megaman's parting words to all of them.

Tron was forced to leave with her brothers since they had other things to attend to but mostly because the young pirate seemed to be unstable around Megaman or anything that reminded her of the young hero. When Sera delivered the purifier's words to her, she bolted out of the room without a word and wasn't found until a day later near the closed tracks leading out of the city.

_"He was sorry that he had to leave you this way..." _Yuna's words whispered softly in the blonde engineer's mind. _"He was sorry that he broke his promise to return to you. There was still so much that he wanted to be there for with you."_

"But even as you sacrificed yourself...you still made sure to bring my mother back." Roll said to the cold air. "You gave up your life to give me my mother." Her mother may have been in a condition almost similar to Megaman's but Mistress Yuna informed her that she should be able to regain consciousness earlier than he would. Would her mother recognize her when she's awaken from her long sleep or would it only end up in another tragedy? Then again her mother probably wouldn't recognize her immediately regardless since the last time she had seen her was when she was a little girl. The more she thought about it the sicker she began to feel. "Hmm?" Roll got a whiff of something good. It smelled like someone was making breakfast in the flutter, but who?

"Grandpa doesn't ever make breakfast, and Megaman..." She stopped herself before she would drop in to another depressive mood but it still didn't make sense. Barrel told her that he was going to be resting for most of the day and the only other occupants on the flutter were Data, Bleucher and the two Mother Units. They didn't really have anywhere else to go and Bleucher didn't seem to want them anywhere near his ship for obvious reasons. He still didn't trust Sera or Yuna that much.

_Maybe Mr. Bleucher is whipping something up. _Roll thought to herself since Data was definitely a hazard in the kitchen and she couldn't possibly imagine Sera or Yuna in the kitchen. Actually it was more like imagining anything about the Mother Units simply didn't sit too well with her, in fact it just disgusted her. For once she actually wished Tron was around to share the hatred she felt right now because everyone else didn't seem to be sharing her sentiments too well. Data seemed to be anxious to know more about them since he didn't know anything past Megaman's memories about, The Master and her grandfather didn't hold any hostility towards them either.

"I'm beginning to freeze anyway." Roll muttered to herself, walking to the hatch of the ship to get back inside. She closed the heavy hatch over her head when she started to descend the ladder and her stomach began to give her gentle hints of hunger as the delicious aroma invaded her senses. After hanging her coat on her door she descended the ladder leading to the floor below and proceeded over to the living room. Her eyes fell upon Sera as soon as she entered the room since the mother unit was sitting on the couch, facing the television with a curious look upon her face. It was a dramatic change from her usual stoic expression to say the least.

"Mr. Bleucher?" She raised an eyebrow when she saw the elder man at the pool table. If he wasn't the one cooking breakfast and Data was nowhere to be seen then could the robotic monkey seriously have pulled through this time? Last time he tried to microwave some food he almost had the Flutter consumed in flames...although it did well to perturb the blonde engineer as to how the separate data drive had a digestive system to begin with.

"Good morning, Roll." Bleucher greeted her. "Are you feeling better?" He asked.

"...Sort of." Roll lied, stealing a glance at the kitchen door before returning her sights upon Bleucher. "Um, who's cooking? It wouldn't be Data, would it?"

"Of course not." The elder man replied with a look of disbelief. "How would that short robot even be able to work the stove?"

"...Oh..." Roll felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "That makes sense...so..." She trailed off.

"Mistress Yuna decided to make breakfast today." Bleucher answered her unvoiced question. He observed the indescribable look that flashed across the young woman's face and went on, "I know, it baffles me as well. I never would have predicted that she had a grasp on Terran food either, however, I guess it's somewhat understandable seeing as how she was stranded on this planet for a while in your mo-" He stopped himself quickly and cleared his throat. "Erm...it does smell good doesn't it?" He tried to change the subject with a nervous chuckle.

"These shows are quite interesting." Sera suddenly commented offhandedly. "These carbons purposely act upon irrational impulses to bring out a reaction from the viewers." She nodded her head at her observation as though she was agreeing with her own words. "Interesting indeed."

"We're called humans, not "Carbons", got that?" Roll interjected.

"I sense that you still harbor some hostile feelings toward me." Sera turned her head to regard her. "I don't blame you, however, if we are to live together then I advise that you cope with this new situation in another fashion."

"Live together?" Roll's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "Who said we were going to live together? This is only temporary!"

"Trigger is my responsibility, Ms. Caskett." Sera's voice took on an unusual edge. "Should he awaken soon, I must be the one to guide him in the proper path for what is to come."

"He isn't yours."

"On the contrary. I am his superior." Sera retorted. "And I will be his guardian alongside Mistress Yuna."

"What are you talking about? EDEN is gone isn't it?"

"But the Elder System still remains and as long as it is still active nothing has changed."

"Megaman won't listen to you anymore."

"I believe he will be the judge of that, young one." Sera said with a hint of mischief in her voice before the kitchen door swung open as Yuna and Data entered the living room. The gentle mother unit regarded Sera and Roll before shaking her head in disappointment.

"Still at each other's throats I see." Yuna sighed. A warm smile crossed her lips as her eyes swiveled over to Roll and she said, "Please take a seat at the table Roll. I've prepared everyone some breakfast." Her warm, gentle voice sent shivers running down the blonde engineer's spine. It sounded so maternal. Almost as if Yuna thought of her as her child.

"Who are you?" Roll asked in confusion.

"I'm Yuna." the mother unit said with a light laugh.

"But...why are you so different from her?" she gestured to Sera. "Why do you seem so much more...human?"

"Come now, that wasn't very nice." Yuna frowned slightly. "It isn't Sera's fault for being the way she is. It's just, she never made the time to interact with humans as much as I did in the past. I've spent so much time on Terra that I can't help but be this way." She averted her eyes for a moment before continuing. "At that time Sera was imprisoned. She's very unfamiliar with this world."

"...I see." Roll still didn't feel any better about the cold mistress, however.

"So will you have a seat?" Yuna asked invitingly. "I actually think I did a good job of the cooking so don't worry about any food poisoning." Roll couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the mother unit's words. Maybe Yuna wasn't as bad as she thought. Sure, she mysterious and she did play a part in keeping her mother away but it wasn't exactly on purpose.

"...Sure." Roll finally submitted. "I'm hungry anyway."

* * *

**_Memory Defragmenting...67 percent...Life systems...86 percent..._**

**_Progressing...Progressing..._**

_"Commander Trigger?"_

_...Huh? That voice..._

_"Wake up, Commander!"_

_...Alia? Is that you?_

_"Are you going to keep me waiting here all morning?"_

_...I can't see..._

_**"I'm sorry but I'm gonna be the one to change the world!**"_

_..Another voice?_

_**"If I ever turn Maverick...you may need to retire me..."**_

_**"Stop speaking nonsense. Return to base now."**_

_Not this again! Stay out of my head!_

_**"You see, I've acquired an ally who hates you just as much as I do! He was the one who provided me with this new body!"**_

_**"SIGMA! I WILL DESTROY YOU!"**_

_"Commander? Are you alright?"_

_Too...many...voices..._

_**"What are you doing? You can't just stand down!"**_

_**"I won't take part in this war. Not anymore."**_

_What war? Why don't I ever get any answers? Who's Sigma? Who are the owners of these voices?_

_**-Memory contamination...Database repairs commencing...-**_

_**"Weil! Stand down or I will shoot!"**_

_**"X? The great commander finally stands before me! Omega, retire this relic!"**_

_**-Repairs at 70 percent...-**_

_**"Master X? What are you doing?"**_

_**"This is the only way the seal it off."**_

_**"By giving up your body? This is ludicrous!"**_

_**"You will lead the guardians now, Phantom."**_

_**-Encountered error...Memory Contamination spreading...Entering Anti-virus program...Commence override-**_

_**"I'm ti...ed Ze...o...I've fo...ht so long. I just wa...t to rest now. Neo Ar...dia is in your h...nds now."  
**_

_**"X! Where wi...l you go n...w?"**_

_**"Good...ye Zer..."**_

_**"X!"**_

_When will I awaken from this nightmare? This feeling is getting stronger than before..._

**_"Elpizo, to...h his body and I'... reti... you right n...w!"_**

**_"Th..s is the... nly obs...cle now...ero. You ...ust und...tand..."_**

**_"Elp...o! NO-Zzzzzzt..._**

**_-Memory contamination quarantined...Systems starting up...- _**

Trigger finally opened his eyes to find Alia regarding him with a horrified expression plastered over her face. He found that fortified glass that sealed his pod was smashed with spiderweb-like cracks running all over it's surface and his right hand felt sticky. "Internal fluids?" He regarded the crimson substance covering his right hand with mild interest before running his left hand down his face to find more of his internal fluids running down his face.

"Commander!" Alia grabbed a hold of the edges of his pod's damaged glass and pried it open before entering the pod to tend to him. "Are you alright?" she asked, grabbing a hold of his right arm to examine his hand. The worry she exhibited confused Trigger. Why was she so...affectionate with him? This was affection, right? The reploid commander couldn't get around it.

"I'm fine, Alia." Trigger replied casually. "I didn't expect you to wake me up."

"Why are you so calm?" Alia demanded with a furious expression. "Do you even realize what's going on?"

"I just had another nightmare, Alia. Step away please."

"But Comma-"

"I won't ask you again. Next time it will be an order." Trigger said in a stern voice.

"...Very well." Alia let go of his hand and did as she was asked, stepping out of his pod. She resisted the urge to assist him as he stepped out of the pod as well. "I'll get you a towel." She offered before starting off for the door. Trigger was about to tell her it wasn't necessary but she was already gone.

"I have one..." Trigger said anyway. He grabbed the maroon colored towel tucked in the corner of his pod and wiped his face. It was slightly rough from the dried up internal fluids he wiped off in the past but it still did a good job. "This is the first time I've damaged my pod though." He noted in worry. "Am I finally...losing it?"

_These voices that plague me in my nightmares...they must belong to others but I'm so unfamiliar with these names. Who are these voices?_

[ **_Turning to the Psychoanalytical Clinic... _**]

"It's almost that time again." MED said to no one in particular as she refreshed the holo-board for her next appointment. She tapped a few buttons on the hologram-like keyboard before her and went through a few programs before logging off her last patients file. The last reploid was exhibiting signs of megalomania. That wasn't a good sign. She was going to have to report her soon or something was bound to happen. Just as MED stored away a few of her files, the door to her office opened.

"If you don't have an appointment, please speak with the secretary." MED informed the person without looking back at them. Trigger was her next appointment and he wasn't due in the office until ten fifteen. He was never one to come early or late; only on time. When she didn't register the door of her office opening again she turned to face her visitor and gasped when Mistress Sera was waiting patiently in front of the door. Geetz was standing outside with his arms crossed over his chest.

"That won't be necessary." Sera said in her usual cold tone of voice. The dispassionate look she directed at the medical reploid made her internal systems run at a slower rate. The mother unit approached the chair across from MED and took a seat, crossing her legs when she was comfortable.

"I have an appointment in a few minutes, Mistress Sera." MED said.

"Cancel it." Sera ordered without a second thought.

"But he is a very important patient."

"Who might it be?" Sera cocked her head to the side.

"Commander Trigger." She replied much to the Mistress's interest but it naturally wasn't expressed outwardly. She simply nodded her head and said, "All the more reason to cancel it. I wish to review his psychological profile."

"Excuse me?" MED quirked an eyebrow. "I can't do that. It's quite confidential."

"You would do well to cooperate. If you speak of your confidentiality agreement with the EDEN council then do not weigh your mind on such matters."

"...I-I see." MED understood what the Mother unit was getting at. She tapped a button on her wrist and the files appeared before them in hologram form. She tapped on the file with the caption, Second Commander Trigger floating under it and it opened for Sera.

"Much appreciated." Sera offered her a slight nod before turning to the information before her. Her calculating eyes scrutinized every detail until she came upon the line, **_"Has frequent nightmares."_**

"Your attention please." Sera called to the medical reploid.

"Yes?" MED asked nervously. Being in the same room with the Mother unit was enough to make her professional mask crack.

"This line right here." She directed her attention to the line she stopped at.

"Yes, I see it." MED urged her on.

"Has he expounded upon this particular detail?"

"No."

"Is it not your inclination to have him explain it to you?"

"I didn't need an explanation."

"Very well." Sera nodded before saying unexpectedly, "Then you explain." Their conversation was interrupted when the office door opened to reveal Trigger and Alia. MED looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car before the impending crash. She saw his eyes dart between Sera and herself.

"Don't I have an appointment today?" Trigger asked, a hint of suspicion laced in his question.

"It's been canceled." MED replied awkwardly with a casual wave of her hand. "I'll meet with you tomorrow." The commander regarded her oddly after hearing her answer and took one final glance at Sera before closing the door. He didn't like the look of that particular scene, it just didn't seem proper.

"Now that he is gone, explain." Sera prodded her on.

"Um, yes..." MED cleared her throat. "Trigger says that he is experiencing nightmares constantly in his sleep and that they never change."

"Proceed."

"What he is actually experiencing is "_Memory Contamination._" Explained the medical reploid as she adjusted her glasses. "Memory contamination is a frequent case that comes up whenever I have my appointments with the Commanding Units."

"For what reason?"

"It's due to the "_Gemini Program_", a project under professor Ciel's supervision that dates back to the development of the Elysium Colony when it was still within its early stages. It's a process in which collected data files from deceased reploids are used to create a..." MED paused to find the right word for her explanation. "...Shadow of the original. Not exactly a clone, however, it is still a form of replication regardless."

"Interesting. Go on."

"Trigger is merely experiencing memories from the original reploid that his data is based on. If left alone too long, it could cause permanent damage to his psyche, but a protection program has been installed in his data drives to prevent it." MED finally finished. "Is there anything else you need to know?"

"No..." Sera stood up. "That is quite sufficient."

"...Good." MED grumbled under her breath.

"Actually, there is one more thing I would like to know." Sera added, perking up the medical reploid.

"Ahem..." MED adjusted her visor as she cleared her throat. "What would that be?"

"Trigger's conversations with The Master...has he spoken to you about them."

"He has, but he's never exactly given me any intimate details."

"...Very well. Good day." With that, Sera made her exit.

* * *

_"Damn...there's Reaverbots crawling all over the place." Nero cursed, taking a cursory of the Elder Library entrance below. They only awakened whenever the Library had been breached meaning it wasn't a good sign. His unit was called to the site because a Maverick leading a troop of other mavericks infiltrated the memorial site. The memorial site was a monstrous monument in tribute to all of the heroes and villains of the past. It was to remind everyone the reason Elysium existed. _

_Cleverly enough, the memorial site was built directly over the Elder Library which was a baffling structure underground holding an accumulation of "Forbidden" data and other confidential things that were kept under wraps from the rest of the world since the very beginning of the Maverick epidemic back in 21XX._

"Commander!" Nero turned around when he heard Iris call his attention. The brown-haired second in command reploid saluted him and awaited him to allow her at ease.

"At ease." Nero ordered. "Report?"

"The Second Unit has arrived, Commander Nero." Iris informed him.

"That's good news." Nero nodded in relief. "They'll make clearing out those reaverbots much easier." The crimson reploid smirked when he saw Trigger and Alia approaching them from over his partner's shoulder. "You made some good time, Trigger."

"Good to hear." Trigger replied, stopping in front of his fellow commander. "How is the situation?" The blue bomber inquired.

"Check for yourself." Nero told him as he handed him the binoculars. The second commander accepted them and took a look at the horrendous sight below.

"The Reaverbots are acting up." Trigger grimaced. "That must mean that the Irregular force breached the library. That's not good..."

"What are they after in there?" Alia asked curiously.

"Who knows." Iris shrugged her shoulders. "Only those in the EDEN council know what's in that place."

"Nevertheless, we have to make sure that they don't get what they want." Nero declared. "We need to dispose of those wretched reaverbots first." There were hordes of Sharukurusu and Hanmuru Dolls stalking the entrance grounds.

"I'll lead the attack against the reaverbots." Trigger told Nero. "You advance your team in to the library while we distract them."

"That should work." Nero nodded with his reasoning. "We'll commence the attack now. We can't allow those mavericks to reach their goal." The Crimson reploid gripped the hilt of his beam saber and headed to his unit to order them out in to combat with Iris at his side. Trigger nodded to Alia and the both of them went to prepare their unit for the attack. Reploids wielding weapons from buster cannons to beam rods were lined orderly in organized rows. The reploids wielding the melee weapons were at the front lines while the long range shooters were lined in the back rows.

"Listen up! We're going to head out against the reaverbots to clear a path for the first unit!" Trigger informed them aloud.

"When the opening is clear we'll rush in and secure the area!" Nero barked out at his unit.

"The Elder Library holds forbidden information!" Trigger went on to his unit.

"So we must carry out this operation with the out most caution and efficiency to ensure their preservation!" Nero finished.

**_"READY?"_**

**_"MISSION START!"_**

* * *

**_ [ Returning to Reality... ]_**

"Oh..." Bola rubbed the side of his face where Tron nearly clawed his skin out. "So that's what happened. For a moment there I thought she just hated me." The cool, collected pirate chuckled after Teisel explained the situation regarding Megaman to him. The veteran pirate teased the lovely pirate about her crush on the blue hero when he saw her and she just lashed out at him.

"Man, that kid never gets a break." Klaymoor grunted, sounding rather disappointed. "To think that those keys were a trap all along." He crossed his heavy armored hands over his broad metal chest and shook his head with a rusted squeak. Apparently his armored body was finally beginning to show it's age. "So, what's the plan now?" The tall pirate asked Teisel.

"My clothing store is in the pits and it's getting pretty rough in our new ship." Teisel groaned, referring to their poor excuse for the Gesellchaft's substitute. "Me, Tron and Bon are going to try and shoot for another airship. We just have to gather enough money to have it built."

"Whoa, if you're aiming for another ship like the Gesellchaft then it's gonna take forever!" Bola looked at the oldest Bonne like he was out of his mind. "You're going to make a name for yourself gathering the money without help. I'm sure you don't want another enemy like Mr. Loath again." Bola stole a glance towards the small Inn window that was facing them and whispered, "She's been quite lately hasn't she?"

"You mean Tron?" Teisel blinked before waving him off with his left hand. "Oh yeah, she's been pretty quiet lately since the whole problem with the Blue Boy."

"It's really a shame man." Bola frowned. "I'd really like to pay him a visit but with that whole train stunt we pulled at Yosyonke I doubt we'd make it to his room without being followed by the local authorities."

"Heh, that's what bein' the bad guys all about." Klaymoor rumbled.

"Which reminds me...what ever happened to Glyde?" Bola asked Teisel.

"We kind of dropped him some time ago." Teisel answered casually. "Who knows what happened to that guy." He shrugged his shoulders.

**_Tron's Inn room..._**

"Man, this bites." Tron muttered, kicking the radiator beside her bed. "I should of never ran off like that! Now I'm stuck out here with those guys while Roll is still at Yosyonke with Megaman!" She glanced at her perfectly shaped pillow for a moment before looking away. "When that idiot wakes up the first person he'll probably see will be that blonde ditz!" Tron clenched bot her fist tightly and grit her teeth. "Argh, it's all so annoying!" There was some laughter from the other pirate outside and she finally just blew up. She bolted over to the window and wrenched it open quickly, startling the three men outside. "HEY!" She bellowed.

"W-what?" The three pirates practically cried out in fear.

"I'M DOING SOME REFLECTING HERE! YA' MIND?" Tron asked them with a murderous look plastered over her face. Teisel, Bola, and Klaymoor nodded shook their heads vigorously and shuffled away without another word. "Thank you." Tron cooed her last words and shut the window.

"You know..." Bola got Teisel and Klaymoor's attention.

"What is it?" Teisel asked.

"...Maybe it's that time of the month..."

* * *

_**[ Returning to the Elysium Memoirs... ]**_

"Fall!" Trigger yelled, firing off a few shots at a charging Hanmuru Doll. The gargantuan reaverbot swung at him with it's left club-like extremity and the commander rolled under the deadly swipe before it could bash in to him. Before it could recover from it's heavy swing and attack him again, Trigger let off a few shots on it's underside and the reaverbot started to receive some critical damage, falling to the side. The commander looked to the side to see Nero leading his unit across the battlefield and smirked briefly before setting his sights upon a rushing Sharukurusu. The agile reaverbot reared it's right arm back and hit Trigger dead in the chest, sending him flying backwards. The vicious predatory machine wasted no time in rushing the commander again, raising both of it's clawed hand over it's head to deliver a fatal strike!

"Come on..." Trigger concentrated and aimed his buster cannon at the reaverbot's head. Just as it was standing over him he shot it in the head, causing it to stagger back from the attack, however, it recovered quickly and brought it's right arm crashing down upon him. Trigger used his fast combat reflexes to roll to the side just in time to avoid being impaled by one of it's deadly claws but the reaverbot seemed to have anticipated this and went in for another strike. Just before it could deal it's fury upon him, a charged shot took off it's head clean.

"Huh?" Trigger whipped his head to the source of the blast and saw Alia running to him with her buster cannon smoking from the hot plasma blast. She offered him a hand and smiled brilliantly. "Thanks." He thanked her as she helped him up to his feet.

"No need, commander. I wouldn't forgive myself if I let anything happen to you." She shook her head before they both cried out in unison, "WATCH OUT!" They both aimed their buster cannons over each other's shoulder and shot down the reaverbots that were trying to catch them off guard. They nodded to each other before they parted ways and joined the fray once more. Trigger plowed across the field, shooting reaverbots with the members of his unit until they made it to the Library entrance.

"I'm heading in." Trigger told them.

"But sir-"

"I can handle it alone." Trigger cut him off. "Alia will take charge of this attack now." With that he entered the library and disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Nero lead his unit deeper in to the Library with Iris by his side, resisting the urge to gape in awe at the astonishing sights before them. The Library was immeasurably enormous. It did well to make the purifier unit's question just how much of Elysium it took up. It was like a hidden city. They were walking on a glass floor that allowed them to view what was below them. There were separate chambers below them housing old Mechaniloids. To the purifier units the monstrous robots were like lost technology when compared to the reaverbots they faced.

"Amazing..." Iris remarked, turning to face her commander. "How big do you think the library is?"

"Don't know." Nero replied. "Best not to keep our minds preoccupied with such things though." He told her in a commanding tone. "The enemy has a better chance at surprising us that way." Then almost as if on cue, the glass floor beneath their feet cracked until it looked as though they were standing upon a web.

"What the-" One of the members of the unit cried out before a hand burst forth from the glass floor and crushed him between it's sharp talons. The other members aimed there weapons at the hand holding the writhing reploid and took fire, however, their plasma shots bounced off the hands fortified armor.

"...Es..cape.." Was the dying reploids last words before he hung limply in the hands talons.

"Get moving dammit!" Nero roared at the member of his unit just as the hand pulled back in to the hole it came though. "Who the hell got that ancient mechaniloid operational again?" He saw two cold, robotic eyes burning crimson from the darkness below them since the mechaniloid managed to knock off the lights with it's last attack and drew his beam saber before turning to Iris. "Iris, lead the unit forward. I'll hold off this thing."

"...Very well commander." Iris finally nodded after some hesitation. She reluctantly turned away from him and started issuing her orders to the remaining members.

"Come on!" Nero yelled at the mechaniloid before it punched through the floor again in an attempt to deal the same fate to the crimson commander as it did to his fellow unit. Nero rolled to the side to avoid the attack, large chunks of glass showering him as the hand smashed through the surface again and he dashed forward with his blade poised to attack. He slashed the mechaniloids wrist to sever the hand but the armor was strong enough to withstand the searing heat from the beam saber. The mechaniloid, clearly suspecting that it's tactics weren't effective against he nimble reploid, decided to reveal itself in all of it's frightening glory!

"HA!" Nero slashed at the hand again only to have the glass surface beneath him explode in to countless shards when the mechaniloid rammed through the floor with it's entire body. The commander was forced through the ceiling, finding himself lodged in tight. The mechaniloid resembled a titanic standing wolf with silver wings. Nero could see the faded word "Fenrir X-650" with the old Repliforce insignia over it. The mechaniloid locked onto him with it's sensors and began gathering energy in the plasma cannon that was built in it's mouth but a well aimed plasma shot to it's snout got it's attention.

"Trigger?" Nero turned his head towards the source of the shot to see the second commander entering the scene with his buster cannon still aimed at the mechaniloid. "Right on time." Nero smirked. With the mechaniloid distracted by the blue bomber, he was able to pry himself free of his ceiling prison and land on the giant robot's head. The Mechaniloid reacted quickly to Nero, however, shaking him off violently.

"You okay?" Trigger asked Nero when the crimson reploid crashed on to the floor at his feet.

"I'm still alive." was Nero's answer, standing up.

"Then let's get to it." Trigger said, gathering energy in to his buster for a charged shot.

**_[ Viewing the situation outside the Elder Library... ]_**

"This is endless!" Alia growled, shooting down a Hanmuru Doll with a well placed shot to it's armored cranium. The plasma shot pierced the armor and the reaverbot's head exploded. To the sub-commander's horror the floor rumbled violently and a horde of Zakobon rose from the ground. The members of the unit held their own against the horde for a while but the force gradually became overwhelming. "We're going to need reinforcements!"

**_"Don't worry, we're on it!"_** a female voice informed her over her ear-piece communicator. It was one the Spotters from Head Quarters. **_"The Third Unit has been sent as reinforcements. They left moments ago so they should be there soon!"_**

"That's a relief." Alia sighed.

**_"Are any of the commanders there? I can't contact them for some reason."_**

"The both of them entered the library." Alia answered her.

**_"You must reach them quickly! We've just been informed of the Maverick force's true identity!"_**

"Really?" Alia knew this had to be bad if Head Quarters had data about them. "Who is the threat?"

_**"It's the entire forth unit being lead by Commander Juno!"**_

"One of our own?" A horrified expression washed over her face. "This isn't good!" When she cut off the com-link, the wind suddenly kicked up and she raised her head to see a Purifier Airship hovering over the battlefield. The drop doors opened and the Third Unit descended upon the field with the aid of cables. They were concealed in heat camo cloaks as they landed to deceive the attacking reaverbots so they wouldn't get attacked as they made their touchdown. Then in a stylishly synchronized movement, they all threw off their cloaks and dual wielded their guns before unleashing hell upon the unsuspecting horde of reaverbots. The commander of the Third Unit rushed to Alia and offered her a slight nod, asking, "Where is Commander Trigger and Nero?" His code name was "_Striker_" and by the "_Gemini Programs_" decision he was modeled after the late addition to the original Maverick hunters, _AXL_.

"They entered the library."

"Then it must be too late to inform them." Striker reasoned. "Very well...as commander of the Third Unit, we will assist you as best as we can."

"Thank you."

* * *

**_[ Reality... ]_**

Roll lay across her bed with her eyes closed as she made an attempt to sort out her thoughts. Her mind was still reeling from her breakfast with Bleucher and the Mother units. It was quite the experience to say the least. She didn't even think that they were capable of digestion, let alone tasting food. Whoever built them really paid attention to the human anatomy as they developed them. It must have been a painful process to deal with. She looked up at the door when she heard a frantic knock. Surely the person on the other side must have lost their mind!

"What?" Roll asked, a little startled by the sudden knock.

"I-It's Matilda!" Barrel's voice came from the other side. He sounded like he was out of breath for some reason. Did the retired digger run to the flutter to deliver this news? When Roll heard her mother's name she shot out of bed and rushed to her door to open it for her grandfather.

"Mother? What about mother?" She asked in panic.

"She's awake!" Barrel answered. "She's-OH?" He jumped back when Roll fainted.

"HEY!" Bleucher reached the scene a little late. He regarded the unconscious engineer and massaged the back of his neck sheepishly. "By her fainting...is that a good thing?"

* * *

**_To Be continued..._**

* * *

**_Next Chapter: Legends Interlude One: Maverick -Finale-_**

**_Episode Five: The Awakening_**

_The disturbing events in Elysium finally escalate as the Fourth Commander, Juno is apprehended and judged for his crimes. Megaman has his final conversation with, The Master and Elysium faces it's darkest Hour. Trigger, in his efforts to fulfill The Master's final wish is declared a "Maverick" by Mistress Sera and he is forced to engage the Irregular Hunters in combat and the Mother Units themselves. Loyalty, Honor, and Friendship will be put through the gauntlet as Elysium turns in to a ticking time bomb and Trigger has his epic duel with Sera._

_As for Roll and the others, how will they cope with their lives as Megaman finally stirs in his sleep and Matilda awakens? Wait till the next chapter is released for the answers...or, you know...you can guess..._


	5. Against the Odds

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Megaman franchise…nothing at all….

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Interlude One: Maverick_**

_By Traingham

* * *

_

_**Episode Five: The Awakening**_

* * *

_Everything in the room was blurry and out of focused. The sounds emanating from behind the door of the hospital room were distorted and incomprehensible. Some nerves in the body were receiving signals from the brain sluggishly while others didn't seem to react at all._

"_**You're awake." **_A soft feminine voice told her. It was the nurse that was watching over her. She was a portly brunette with a slightly worn face, she must have been in her mid forties at most.

All of these things are what Matilda felt as her consciousness finally began to resurface within her mind. She felt like a newborn infant trapped in the wrong body. Her fingers and her toes felt numb, as did her legs, but her respiratory system was working just fine much to her relief. In fact the mask over her mouth was really beginning to irritate her, but due to her inability to work her body it looked as though it could not be helped. She would have to endure it a little longer until someone removed it for her.

_Where am I? Am I in a hospital?_ The elder Caskett thought as her eyes did their best to take in her surroundings. Her ears were able to pick up the faint tone from EKG monitoring her heart rate. _I'm finally able to think for myself. That mysterious voice is no longer speaking to me…am I finally free?_

"MATILDA!" A gruff voice called her name after she heard the dull click from her door opening. She used what will power she had to turn her head towards the source of the voice and saw Barrel rushing to her bed with a blonde young woman wearing a red engineering outfit. Her hair was wild and feather-like, but the awakening woman could already tell who she was for some reason. Those eyes, those beautiful green eyes. They kept her from losing hope all of these years.

_Roll…my precious treasure…is that really you? _ Her eyes never left the girl as she knelt down at her side. She removed her gloves and took her hand in a firm grip, tears slipping from her eyes in a steady trail, but they were tears of happiness. "Mom, can you hear me? D-do you remember me at all? I know I may have grown quite a bit from the last time you saw me, but can you at least remember my face?"

"Just be a little patient, dear." The portly nurse told her gently. "It's going to take her a while to be able to talk again."

"…Yes…" Matilda said faintly, her voice strained and barely clear. The way she narrowed her eyes when she spoke that single word told them how much she had to concentrate just to move her lips. It was an admirable feat, so much that the nurse could not keep herself from gasping in shock at the display of strength from the recovering woman. "I…rem…ember."

"T-that's unbelievable!" Barrel exclaimed. "T-This must be some sort of miracle. How could she possibly remember anything after being possessed for so long?" He looked over his shoulder to regard the two mother units standing at the door. Sera stood there with a look of concentration as though she had been trying to make sense of the situation while Yuna had a knowing look on her face as if she predicted this outcome all along.

"You must know something about it, don't you?" The old digger's voice cracked as he spoke. "Whatever you did…I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am!" At his words, the gentle mother unit simply nodded with a warm smile. Sera on the other hand quirked an eyebrow at her fellow unit and asked, "What had you done to ensure that her memory would stay intact?"

"I melded it with my own database." Yuna answered her. "Believe it or not…she still has my nano machines running through her body. In a way she can longer be considered entirely human."

"I understand." Sera nodded with her reasoning. "You left an imprint of yourself within her to preserve her fragile psyche."

"Exactly." Yuna nodded again before placing a hand upon her shoulder so she could lead her out. "I think we should leave them to themselves now."

"Very well."

"Perhaps it is time that we check on the real hero." Yuna suggested. "His room is across the hall isn't it?"

"I believe so."

* * *

_**[ ****Elysium Colony, Elder Library…**** ]**_

_First Commander and Unit engaged with enemy within the "Second Terminal" of the Elder Library. _

_Accompanied support: Second Commander, Trigger._

_Second and Third Unit engaged with Reaverbot horde at the Elder Library entrance at the command of, 2__nd in __Command Alia and Commander of the Third Unit, Striker._

_Accompanied Support: Hunter Battle airship_

_Maverick Threat: Fourth Commander, Juno and the entire fourth unit…_

_**Memory Defragmenting…87 percent…Life Systems…96 percent…**_

_**Progressing…Progressing…**_

"Commander!" One of the members of the fourth unit called Juno's attention as he rushed into the chamber. "We're being pursued by the First unit! What are your orders, sir?"

A tall commanding reploid with waist length violet hair turned slowly to regard his subordinate. His eyes looked cold and calculating, but behind his silver orbs held a deep burning madness reserved for every human on the colony. His armor was a pearl white color with red glowing strips running down his back in a confusing pattern that ended at his mid section. His weapon of choice was the rail gun mounted on his shoulder; however, he kept a chain rod at his waist as a secondary measure.

"Stay put, will you?" The Fourth Commander asked in a liquid cool voice, turning away from him. "Layer activated a mechanilloid to keep those insects busy." He spoke of his second in command. "It should serve as an effective diversion if it doesn't succeed in killing them first."

_So…Nero is my enemy, eh? This is the duel I've been waiting for so long…_ "Don't disappoint me old friend." He said to no one in particular before he approached the object of his desires. There before him was a large case, containing an old beam scythe with the _"SIGMA" insignia on it's handle. _"This is the forbidden technology that the "EDEN" wants to keep away from us." He placed his hand against the glass case and stroked it with admiration clear in his gleaming eyes. "With this…I will put those damned carbons in their place!"

"Don't move!" A voice broke through to the commander, ruining his private moment. He turned to regard the interloper within his plans and a slight smirk crossed his lips when he saw just who he was faced with. There stood Iris at the entrance of the weapon chamber with her beam saber directed at him determinedly. The other hunters of the first unit stood behind her with their buster cannons directed at the other members of the fourth unit to have them stay put. "End of the line, Maverick." The second command of the first unit declared.

"Maverick?" Juno echoed her last word with a chuckle. "I'm insulted that they would send you to apprehend me. Where is Nero?"

"He's busy taking care of the mechanilloid you sent against us."

"Is that so?" Juno turned away with a look of disgust plastered on his face and ordered, "Kill them."

In an instant all of the members of his unit aimed their buster cannons at the First unit and opened fire, but they were prepared, rolling under the incoming shots and returning fire. Iris powered up her beam saber and advanced forward towards the Fourth Commander, taking down every member of the unit that attempted to get in her way with swift strokes that severed their arms and legs, cutting them asunder like stalks of wheat to a sharpened scythe.

"Don't you dare give me your back!" Iris yelled as she jumped in the air, holding the hilt of her saber with both hands. Just as he was in striking distance she brought the saber down over his head, but he swerved to the side just as his head was about to be split in half and spun around with a roundhouse to her midsection that sent her crashing in to the wall on the opposite side of the room. Her body bounced off with the hard impact, dropping her to the ground on her knees.

"So you have some skill with that beam saber, eh?" A smirk appeared briefly upon his face before it reverted back to his stoic mask. "So be it…" He clenched his right hand in to a fist and slammed it against the glass that surrounded the beam scythe. The glass shattered to the ground and he gripped the ancient weapon. "I'll humor you then."

_**[ **_**_Trigger and Nero's situation… _**_**]**_

"Watch yourself!" Nero warned Trigger when the Fenrir reared it's head to look at him. Seconds later its mouth burned with white hot energy and it shot a searing ray of light at the Second Commander. Trigger threw himself to the side to avoid the attack and got back to his feet before retaliating with a few shots from his buster cannon. The shots hit the Fenrir directly in it's snout and the mechanilloid seemed to become genuinely irritated, surprising both hunter with its feral display.

"This old war machine can't possibly have emotions…can it?" Trigger questioned the nature of its behavior with fascination.

"No time for that sort of discussion!" Nero returned his focus to more pressing matters, running toward the Fenrir with his blade poised for a strike. The crimson reploid hastened his dash and slammed his right foot against the wall, following up with his left foot. He was suddenly running across the wall as though his body defied gravity. The Repliforce mechanilloid's sensors caught his movement almost instantly and it whipped around to slash the first commander with it's claws, but Nero kicked off from the wall and slashed at the incoming hand with swift succession knocking it back. The war machine roared as it snatched its hand back and tried to make up for the failed attempt with a tail whip, but the crimson commander became a vanishing blur just as the thick tail whipped through his image.

Trigger followed up with a charged shot to the titan's cranium as its hand crashed through the glass floor and the Fenrir staggered back until it crashed against the side of the wide corridor. The second commander then rushed towards it and jumped on to it's shoulder, releasing round after round of fire upon its neck in an attempt to completely disengage it from the rest of its body. Sparks crackled and popped, surrounding Trigger as he continued his relentless assault and Nero saw his chance to deal the final strike.

"Stay clear, Trigger!" He alerted his fellow commander.

"Alright!" Trigger did as he was told and Nero dashed forward in a blur before delivering a slash to the exposed circuitry in the Fenrir's neck. There was a bright flash of light as the beam saber severed the cables and not a moment later did an explosion engulf the halls. Trigger and Nero advanced forward, sprinting from the rushing flames of the explosion as it swallowed everything in sight. They spotted another passage coming up on their left and they threw themselves in, rolling to the side of the entry way and pressing their backs against the wall as the inferno rushed past them.

"I'm sure that alerted the enemy of the mechanaloid's failure." Trigger said, allowing the exhaust to sliver out of his heated buster cannon. "They'll turn to desperate measures now."

"Then we better hurry." Nero agreed with his partner's reasoning. "Hopefully Iris is holding her own." With that the First Commander sprinted, leading the way. Trigger grinned and followed in suite, rushing down the scorched tunnel with him.

* * *

_**[ **_**_Alia and Striker's situation…_**_** ]**_

The Third unit gradually cleared the field, opening fire with relentless rounds from their dual pistols as the rapport from each shot practically echoed loud enough for the inhabitants of the main city to hear. The members of the EDEN council were able to see the flashes of light coming from the battlegrounds as clear as daylight from the main building. It was an intense spectacle that erased the darkness of night.

"Where are they being held in reserve?" Striker questioned in a near emotionless voice as a Sharukurusu burst forth from the ground at his feet. He aimed his dual pistols at the reaverbot's head as the crosshairs locked on with the built in sniping capabilities of his eyes. He let off two rounds and the reaverbot slumped over before falling forward.

Alia leaped in to the air with plasma energy crackling in her buster cannon and took a Hanmuru Doll's head off with relative ease, rolling when she made contact with the ground again. She locked on to a swarm of Zakabon that were dead in her sights and discharged a plasma grenade from her buster cannon, decimating them upon impact.

"My internal systems are starting to show a decrease in performance…"She cursed, narrowing her eyes imperceptibly. "The exhaustion will hit my body hard if this keeps up any longer."

**No need for any of that.** She heard the spotter's voice through her com-link.

"_What's going on?"_ Alia asked.

**The Mother unit's are heading over there now.**

Alia's eyes widened slightly in surprise. _"Are you serious?"_ Almost as if on cue she heard a sudden chain of explosions reverberate across the battlefield. The plasma fire from the member's of both units came to a halt and Alia whipped around in confusion as the flames surrounded them. "What the hell is going on?"

"They've come." Striker's voice informed from behind her without warning.

"H-huh?" She stammered, startled by his answer. She whipped around to face him and followed his line of sight to see Sera and Yuna levitating in the air with their arms crossed. "If they're not doing anything then who's causing all those explosions?"

"The servitor units." Striker replied.

"_Look at them."_ Sera spoke to Yuna as they watched Geetz and Gatz make short work of the reaverbots below them. _"They're not different from roaches when compared to our power yet the Purifier unit's are having so much trouble with them."_

"_You have to respect them for their efforts though." _Yuna countered Sera's logic. _"When you compare our battle experience to theirs, we're no more than simple grunts."_

"_You give them too much credit, Yuna."_

"_And you give them too little credit, Sera."_ The gentle mother unit retorted. _"I find that a very unappealing characteristic about you."_

"_I could care less what you think of me."_ Sera's calculating eyes searched across the battlefield for a certain reploid but he was nowhere to be found. _"Trigger isn't present amongst the purifier's here."_

"_He's probably within the Library pursuing the actual threat."_ Yuna said with a slight hint of admiration in her voice. _He doesn't hold such a high rank for nothing."_

"_Let us put an end to this then…shall we?"_

_**[**_**_ Library Weapon reserve…_** _**]**_

Iris ducked under a slash from Juno's newly claimed scythe, bending backwards as fast as she could to let it pass over her face just barely. She felt the tips of her bangs burn from the energy that the crackling saber hummed with. "How long will you be able to keep this up?" Juno asked sounding rather amused. "I wonder!" He twirled the scythe and delivered an upward slash that cracked at Iris's hands, forcing her to drop her weapon before he kicked her in the stomach.

Iris fell to the ground, unable to keep her balance when she staggered back from the strike. "This isn't over." She growled, looking up at him as the maverick stood over her.

"You're mistaken." Juno retorted calmly, raising the beam scythe over his head. "It's a shame that Nero isn't here to see your en-AH!" Juno was cut short when he felt a sudden impact explode against his shoulder with considerable force. His eyes swiveled over to the entrance of the chamber quickly to see Trigger with his cannon still aimed at him and Nero clutching his ever present beam saber. The look on the crimson reploids face was fearsome enough to make any sensible solider back down, but Juno made it apparent that he was an exception from that rule.

"Lay down your weapon, Juno." Trigger commanded him.

"Trigger…" Juno's stoic mask wavered at the sight of the blue bomber. "To think that you would show up as well." He grinned chillingly before pulling his leg back and kicking Iris against the wall.

"Iris!" Nero growled. "Juno, touch her again and I'll show you no mercy!"

"So this is all it takes to get to you?" Juno sounded disappointed. "Weakness, Nero! That is all she is to you!" He yelled as a maniacal smirk crossed his lips. "Allow me to relieve you of her!"

...

_**...**_

_**[**_"_Zero…" The First Commander heard a familiar voice come from behind him. He found himself in a chamber that was unfamiliar to him. What vexed him in more was the dramatic change in his armor. He had two green orbs on his chest with broad shoulder plates that had a "__**Z"**__ insignia gracing them. His legs were bulkier and by running his hands over his helmet he felt horns._

**_[_**"_**What illusionary tactic is this?"**_

_**[**_"_Zero…" The faint voice called again. He turned to see a bleeding reploid lying on the floor that had a frightening resemblance to Iris. She looked like she had seen much better days._

_**[**_"_IRIS!" He heard his own voice cry out. He fell to his knees beside her and gripped her hand with both of his own tightly. She smiled serenely at him for a moment as if all was right in her world before her eyelids fell closed.  
_

_**...**_

_**...  
**_

"NO!" Nero roared, throwing his saber at the Maverick commander. There was a ghost of a slash as the twirling saber passed through Juno's mid-section and he gasped.

"Ugh…" Juno placed his hand where the saber sliced through him and dropped the scythe when the feeling in his arms went too numb for him to keep control of his hands. He felt his upper body toppling to the side all the while and before he realized what was happening he was on the floor looking at his legs as Iris backed away in horror.

"Nero…" Trigger lowered his buster cannon. The crimson reploid held no emotion on his face as he approached his second in command and knelt before her to tend to her. He took her hand asking, "Are you alright?"

"I'm…fine…but…" Her eyes swiveled over to Juno's upper body as his internal fluids trickled from his mouth. "Is he dead?"

"Dead?" Juno's lips moved unexpectedly, making even Nero flinch in surprise from the unexpected response. "You impudent little girl…such a meager wound cannot kill me!" He coughed out more of his internal fluids as he cried out. "I should have been appointed the position of First commander! To think that I was succeeded by such weaklings! Trigger with his inability to kill and you!" Juno's eyes held an untamed fury as he bore in to Nero's eyes. "You with your inability to see that this girl is what brings you down. To think that you could be so easily set off! Your emotions unveil your weaknesses!"

"You will pay for your crimes." Trigger's voice rang out as he knelt beside Juno with his buster cannon aimed at his head.

"Trigger?" Juno laughed. "As if I could depend on you to end me!"

"He might not." Nero helped Iris up to her feet before pointing his blade at the Maverick's forehead. "But believe me," He narrowed his eyes until they were slits, "I'll do it gladly."

"_**That will not be necessary, Commander Nero."**_ Sera told intruded from behind them. At her words both units refrained from their combat and the commanders turned their attention to the mother unit.

"Mistress Sera." Nero whispered her name.

"Trigger will carry out the execution." Sera ordered, catching the Second Commander off guard. Yuna raised an eyebrow at her fellow unit's words and whispered, "The EDEN council said that they wanted the leader Maverick apprehended, not executed." She gripped Sera's arm and asked, "What are you scheming, Sera?"

"A test." Sera replied in a whisper. She turned her attention back to the second commander and went on, "Well, Trigger? What are you waiting for; I just issued you an order."

Iris looked to Nero almost pleadingly, "Nero-"

"No, Iris." Nero cut her off, understanding what she wanted of him, but- "There's nothing I can do about this."

"But Trigger doesn't believe in execution. There's no way that-"

"I told you already." Nero retorted. "There's nothing I can do." He watched Trigger's face go through an array of emotions as he kept his buster cannon pointed at Juno's head. This was something that he could not do. From the beginning of his service as an active hunter, he never opened fire if it meant taking the life of a human or a reploid…even if it was a maverick.

_What does she want from me?_ Trigger thought as a cold fury slowly kindled deep within him. _Why must she exploit me this way?_ His aim wavered as he felt his hand directing his cannon begin to tremble slightly. _What does she have to gain from forcing her influence on me like this?_

"Trigger." Sera called his name again coldly. "You will carry out the execution now."

Trigger did not react to her command, his eyes narrowing in gradual irritation.

"Are you going to disobey an order from your superior?"

Trigger did not reply to her, his fingers gripping his buster cannon so tightly that they were on the verge of snapping.

"I will give you a final chance, Trigger."

"I will not take another chance." Trigger retorted, standing up straight much to all of the watching reploid's confusion. He looked over his shoulder at Sera, meeting her cold eyes with a resolute stare that dared to challenge her authority. "I will not take this reploid's life."

_Trigger…_ Yuna inwardly smirked at the display of bravery before her. _I fear that Sera has finally found someone that she cannot bend or break._

"Very well, Trigger." Sera's voice took on a slightly different tone than she would usually enforce. All the reploids in the chamber caught it. "Then the EDEN council will deal with this "Maverick"." She turned her back on them, her gaze never returning to meet the blue reploid's eyes again. "You never fail to disobey. Someday I will find a remedy for that…and I assure you that the day will come sooner than you will expect."

* * *

The Master grinned at Trigger when he was done explaining the situation to him. He seemed to be rather amused, which slightly unnerved the Second Commander. It was almost as though he was having fun listening to his griping. "So is that what happened?" He mused innocently.

"Yes." Trigger answered the person. He turned away from the window to face The Master. His appearance was always youthful and somewhat feminine. His blonde hair almost reached the floor and his gentle eyes were soothing to stare into. He was the last true human remaining and without his data, carbons could not go on living. It was because of this sole reason that he was such a very important being.

"Do not worry. Sera does not have the power to dismiss you from the hunters…yet." His last word came out rather melancholy. "It is the decision of the council that the Mother Units shall gain higher power over the reploid forces."

"Why is that?" Trigger asked.

"It is due to the gradual uprising of Irregulars." The Master replied. He walked gracefully towards the window that Trigger stood beside and bowed his head slightly. "You see…they feel that reploids aren't as dependable anymore, so it was decided that they should not have the power to govern themselves anymore. That is why the Mother Units were developed in the first place."

"I don't mind Mistress Yuna but…Sera is so cold."

"It can't be helped." The Master shook his head. "That is how she was made, my dear friend. As much as I try to get a reaction out of her she remains as stoic as a statue, unwilling to lower her unflinching mask long enough for anyone to understand her." He placed his hand against the window and rested his forehead against the cool glass surface. "I feel that everything about this world is slowly growing cold."

"What's wrong, Master?"

"This whole system is what's wrong, Trigger. I grow tired of living on Elysium." He chuckled sadly. "Yet I am bound to it by my responsibility to live. My body…everything that keeps me going cannot adapt to the environment in Terra and yet those who are born from my DNA are able to live prosperously."

"Does it bother you?" Trigger asked. "Does it bother you that you can't go to Terra?"

"…It does." The Master replied. "Understand, however, that the only reason I stay here is because the will of the EDEN requires it."

"What do you mean?"

"Trigger…I've lived on Elysium so long that I no longer fear the possibility of death if I leave it. The humans on Terra, they live a dynamic life that is ever changing. They experience uncertainty and yet they overcome it and that is how they grow as a people. I on the other hand live a…static life. I know nothing of uncertainty. I know nothing of the element of surprise and I…hate it."

"Master…"

"Trigger…If I could just be down there for a few minutes…my life would be complete." With those words the door to his room opened and Sera stood there silently. Her eyes wandered over to Trigger for a few fleeting moments before she returned her attention to The Master.

"Master." She called to him, her deadpanned expression never leaving her face. "You are needed at the EDEN council to judge Maverick leader Juno." She didn't realize how uncomfortable The Master felt after hearing her address him "Master". He tried to conceal the light blush that appeared on his cheeks as he turned to face the cold mother unit.

"I see." He offered Trigger a smile, turning away from Sera for a moment. "I will speak with you again later, dear friend. For now, I must attend to my duties." With that he left the room passing Sera. The Mother Unit, on the other hand, did not move from her spot as if she had unfinished business within the room. She turned her gaze toward the Second Commander and spoke words that would haunt him all night.

"_**I am envious of you…"**_ She continued to stare at him with her cold gaze for a moment after she spoke before finally turning away to leave. Trigger on the other hand could not keep his eyes off of the her until she disappeared around the corner. He wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on his but he could have sworn that Sera narrowed her eyes at him.

* * *

_I was unable to get any rest that night. Between trying to get Alia to calm down and calming my nerves I just couldn't get my mind off of, The Master's words or Juno's fate. Why was the Master telling me these things? Did he want me to do something about it? How could I? How could I possibly be capable of fulfilling his wishes when I'm just a simple…reploid and a weak one at that…_

_What was to happen to Juno, now that he has been apprehended? Breaching the Library of Elders was a capital crime. Only the members of the EDEN Council were allowed in there. Will they have Juno executed? More importantly…what does Sera envy about me? _

…_My answers were to reach me the next day…_

…_.in ways that I would have never predicted…_

_**-

* * *

**_

"_**Commander! Commander, wake up!"**_

"_Huh?"_

"_**It's Juno! You have to see this!"**_

At those words, Trigger's eyes snapped open quickly and he entered the code for his pod to open. He stepped out and descended the steps before Alia grabbed his hand and led him out of his chamber. Once again he experienced the odd feeling that always filled him whenever she would do such things. The female reploid always shared a closeness with him…or at least she always tried.

_Is this relationship that I have with Alia similar to Nero's bond with Iris? _

"_**NO!"**__ Nero's scream echoed in his mind as he recalled the events of the night before. He could still imagine the look on the Crimson commander's face as he threw his beam saber at Juno. It was a mixture of fury and horror. Almost as though losing Iris would have been the very end of life itself…_

"These thoughts…" Trigger muttered to himself as Alia increased her pace. "Why are they so complex?"

"What was that, commander Trigger?" Alia turned her head slightly to regard him.

"…Nothing." He replied.

"Hey Alia!" Both of them heard Iris's voice from the crowd of reploids that were gathered in front of the HQ. Alia saw the brown haired reploid waving at them and led Trigger to where she was. Nero was with her, standing tall with his arms crossed as usual. He didn't seem nearly as amused as the other reploids were. Perhaps that wasn't the truth, seeing as how Striker wasn't with the crowd. He was leaning quietly at the far wall near the entrance of the HQ.

"What's all this commotion?" Trigger asked, inwardly taking note of how Alia still had not let go of his hand. He didn't protest about it however. He merely left it alone as though it was natural.

"It's about Juno." Nero replied. "He wasn't executed."

"He wasn't?" Trigger sounded somewhat relieved and Nero caught it.

"Don't sound so relieved." He went on grimly. "They did something far worse."

"What do you mean?", Trigger quirked an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Go check it out for yourself.", Was the crimson reploid's reply as he jabbed a thumb in the direction of the center of the crowd. Trigger nodded and reluctantly pulled away from Alia to head off and investigate. The other reploids parted when they saw him coming through and he was able to reach the center of all the commotion to face something that simply disturbed him. There stood Juno, no, that wasn't the accurate term to use. There hovered Juno; his arms, lower body and the torso, up.

_What…punishment is this?_ Trigger thought in horror. Juno's body had become rather…monstrous as opposed to how he formerly was. His upper body hovered over his lower body which no longer consisted of two legs and a waist connected by a pelvis. Instead it was just some large…power reserve. His arms hovered directly under his shoulders and they were intimidating extremities at that. His hands looked as though they could crush Trigger's head if Juno felt the need to but what disturbed the Second Commander most of all was the expression on the former commander's face.

"_Oh, is that you Trigger?"_ Juno asked in a soft voice that held a polite quality. As mentioned before the expression on his face would have sent shivers down Trigger's spine if he was capable of feeling it. The formerly stoic commander had a serene smile on his face and his hair was at shoulder length now. _"What a pleasure it is to see you again."_

"I…see." Trigger said hesitantly. Last time he had met with Juno, it wasn't nearly a pleasure at all. "What happened…to you?" He asked.

"_I've been given a second chance by the council of EDEN."_

"You're a member of the hunters again?" Trigger asked. "Was this whole alteration to your body even necessary?"

"_No, purifier."_ Juno said softly. _"I have been assigned as a guardian on Terra. I'm no longer part of the Purifier series. I am a __Bureaucratic Model__now by the decision of Mistress Sera and, The Master."_

_The Master played a part in this decision?_

"_My time is up now."_ Juno announced. _"I am due to be transferred to the Main Gate."_ The Bureaucratic unit was lead away by Geetz. Trigger saw the servitor unit present and instinctively looked around for Sera.

"Trigger." Her voice called out to him. He turned to the source and saw her standing near the airship that Geetz lead Juno in to. "it's such a convenience that you would show up. You've saved me the trouble of searching for you myself." She beckoned him with a hand and he had no choice but to obey.

"Yes Mistress?" Trigger asked.

"I would like to speak to you about your most recent conversation with, The Master. He has been behaving quite oddly as of late and I feel that you would be the best person to talk to regarding it." Sera gestured toward the airship and ordered, "Get in so you can explain on the way."

Trigger went stiff for a moment at her order and stole a glance at Alia and the others. They were alert of what was happening and regarded him with looks of worry.

"Trigger?" Sera got his attention again. "Why the hesitation?"

"My apologies." Trigger offered her a slight bow before doing as he was told. Sera's eyes never left him as he entered the ship until she turned back to see what had his attention before. She spotted Alia, Iris and Nero standing at the far end of the crowd and nodded.

"Trigger has friends…" She said to no one in particular…

* * *

"Do not forget, the Master is the only true human remaining. The System exists only to protect and serve the Master. We exist for this and only this purpose." Sera explained Trigger after listening to his thoughts regarding his conversation with The Master. She couldn't believe that he wanted to go to Terra. His body would not be able to withstand the conditions of the planet.

…It was suicide…

"But Mist-"

"Remember, the Master says illogical things at times. If he does, ignore him." Sera cut Trigger off before he could get out another word. She turned her back on him and walked to Geetz who was leaning against the wall behind her. "You are dismissed, Trigger."

Trigger nodded and left the room.

"I do not understand why the Master would wish to have a Unit such as that by his side...What would prompt such behavior?" Geetz questioned, no signs of emotion ever crossing his face as he voiced his thoughts.

"The Master is, lonely." Sera replied almost hesitantly. _He is repulsed by the nature of his peers so he turns to a lowly Purifier unit like Trigger to confide his thoughts and ideas to. _Sera gripped her left hand in to a tight fist. Geetz made note of the unusual sign of behavior, but said nothing of it. _What is it about Trigger that The Master finds so appealing? Why doesn't he ever confide in me? Why does he look at me with such discomfort and distaste? What makes Trigger so special? Why does he smile at him and not at me?_

* * *

"They scolded you again, did they not, my little friend? Don't be upset, Sera often reprimands me as well. And do you know why? I can show you. Observe." The Master walked to the control panel of his room and tapped a few buttons before a hologram appeared beyond his window. The view of the Elysium colony was slowly replaced by a city. "Beautiful, is it not? These lights are one of the betas' cities. But these are not ordinary betas, I have modified them slightly. Betas, you call them carbons. Though artificially created, in the end they may be closer to, people, than you think. The people living there know thirst, hunger, disease, they suffer all these things and in the end, they grow old and die." The Master took a brief pause from his explanation to smile. "But for one brief moment, they shine as bright as the sun. Because they know these hardships, they also know the meaning of happiness. Compared to theirs, our perfect world is cold and sterile. I'd like to ask you, to do something for me, Trigger. Can you take me there? What do you say?"

"But Master, you'll die if you leave Elysium!" Trigger argued. "Why would you give away your life just to see Terra?"

"Ah…I see." The Master sounded somewhat disappointed. "Sera has planted the seeds of doubt within you."

"What do you mean?" Trigger asked.

"Trigger…believe it or not, I am a prisoner here."

"Impossible."

"I've already told you. I am bound here by responsibility. Without my data, the carbons cannot go on. They are merely there to make the environment acceptable for the humans of Elysium…do you understand what that means?"

"…They'll be disposed of?" Trigger answered.

"That is correct." The Master replied. " I don't feel that it is fair. I feel that they have a right to continue living. For all the hardships they are put through…it would be an injustice to suddenly claim the fruits of their labor for ourselves."

"Master-"

"Trigger." The Master stopped him. "You don't have to do it. A lot would be at stake if you accepted so I don't blame you for being cautious but…think about it please."

* * *

_**[ ****Later that night…**** ]

* * *

****  
**_

_What am I to do now? Sera already knows of The Master's intention so she would be keeping a sharper eye on him…but he is unhappy on Elysium. As a close and trusted friend, would it not be the same as betraying him if I allowed his request to fall dead to my ears?_

_…But taking him away from Elysium would be the same as killing him…_

_…It is your duty to keep him from harm…_

_…You would have his life on your conscience... _

_But it is not his wish to die on Elysium. He would rather die on Terra. He wants to die. He wants to be released from this sterile world._

"_**Trigger…If I could just be down there for a few minutes…my life would be complete."**_

_If you don't fulfill his request it would be the same as killing him. You would be killing him slowly in the very prison he wishes to escape…_

_….You make the choice…_

Trigger closed the book he was staring blankly at as he resolved his answer and set it down on the table beside him. This was it…he knew what the consequence would be to his actions but he was going to do it and if he was to carry it out successfully, he was going to have to do it while he still held the element of surprise. Sera was probably working on methods to keep, The Master in Elysium even as he pondered his thoughts.

Trigger stood up from his seat and was about to take his leave of his room but the appearance of someone stopped him. There at the door of his chamber stood Alia with a worried look upon her face. It was the same look she held for him when he was about to enter the airship with Sera. The same look she held for him when he was being tormented by his nightmare. Why did she worry about him so much? It was driving him to a wall that he simply could not pass through.

"You seem troubled." Trigger decided to break the silence.

"I am." She admitted.

"Why?" Trigger asked in genuine intrigue. "Why do you hold so much worry for me?" His question made her gasp with its apparent hunger for an answer. "Why must you go out of your way to be present everywhere for me; to comfort me and to ensure my safety?"

"Commander."

"Trigger." He told her, causing a puzzled expression to grace her lovely features.

"What?"

"Just call me Trigger." He told her as he placed his hands on her shoulders. She seemed to tense up at his sudden action before a light blush blossomed on her face. "Alia…I don't know what it is that compels you to go out of your way for me but please…refrain from it now."

"But Trigger, I want to do these things for you."

"I'm trouble, Alia. That is all I am." He sighed as he went on, "I don't want any trouble for you. Do you understand?"

"Why are you suddenly saying all these things?" Alia's worry grew stronger. "Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about i-"

"But I have to worry, Trigger!" She yelled.

"Don't dammit!" Trigger yelled back but he was taken by surprise when she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him against her. Since he was slightly taller than her, her head was resting against his chest. " Alia…"

"I love you, alright?"

"Y-you what?" The commander was almost speechless.

"Are you surprised?" Her voice got soft. "Was it that you didn't think I was capable of it?"

"But Alia-"

"No Trigger…you can't change my feelings about you. You can't order me to leave your side. Try as you might to push me away, I'll just keep on coming back." She smiled when she felt his arms around her.

"Alia, I regret that I could not have realized this earlier." Trigger mumbled sadly. "I now understand why Nero reacted so irrationally before when Iris was in danger." Trigger held her away from him so he could get a good look at her face. "Alia, I must leave you now."

"Huh?" Alia felt as though he had taken her will to live away. She suddenly felt a heavy feeling build up in her chest like it would just collapse at any moment. "W-what do you mean? You don't love me b-back?" Trigger felt her shoulders trembling and he pulled her back in to an even tighter embrace than before.

"Alia, I realize now why I felt so odd whenever you worry for me. It was something I was unfamiliar with and it drew me to you but I was afraid to understand this feeling…perhaps because I always knew a day like today would come." He rested his chin upon her head and hugged her tighter. "I love you as well Alia but as I said before…I must leave you." He held her away with much difficulty since she was unwilling to let go.

"Don't go…"

"I must." Trigger smiled solemnly. "I relieve myself of my position and surrender it over to you."

"W-what?"

"You're now Commander of the Second Unit. I expect you to make wise choice while I'm gone." He placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair as though she was a child. "I know I can count on you." With that he let go of her and walked past her. She reached for his shoulder but he jerked away from her.

"Stop…it's hard enough as it is." Were his final words to her before walking off. The newly appointed commander watched unblinkingly as he became a mere speck in the distance before turning the corner at the end of the hall to disappear. Alia backed away from the door until she fell backwards in to his resting pod.

"…Such is life..huh?" She mumbled sadly as tears slipped down her cheeks.

_**[ **_**_The Master's Residence…_**_** ]****  
**_

"I guess he declined." The Master thought aloud, looking out the window of his room. "I can understand why though. It's a dangerous request after all." He glanced over his shoulder at his door. "Sera has made sure that I can't leave as well." He continued to look out his window a while more until her heard a yelp from the reploids guarding his room.

"What's going on out there?" He asked calmly as if nothing really mattered to him at the moment. He stood fearlessly as the door to his room opened with a hiss and a pleased smile crossed his lips when he saw Trigger standing at his door. "Ah, you've decided to take me?" He asked in delight.

"Yes." Trigger replied, beckoning him to come. "We have to hurry before these guards regain consciousness."

"Very well." The blonde young man nodded before doing as he was told. Trigger lead him to the stairway at the end of the hall, his eyes looking to the ceiling for any hidden cameras. When they were at the first floor, Trigger walked to the portal leading out and made sure his buster cannon was ready for action. The Master placed a hand on Trigger's shoulder as the former commander passed through the portal and when they both stepped out there was nobody outside waiting.

"It looks like Sera didn't plan on this happening after all." Trigger was inwardly relieved. He looked back at The Master and said, "We're heading to the shuttle docks. Do you know the best way over th-" Trigger went on alert when he heard the crunching of grass from the other side of the residence. There was somebody coming. "Come on…" He grabbed The Master by the hand and they pressed their backs against the wall to strafe towards one of the other accessible portals.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly until-

"Commander Trigger?" A familiar voice called his name. Trigger turned his head to regard the source of the voice and tensed when he came face to face with Yuna. The gentle Mother unit grinned at him mischievously for a moment before her eyes wandered over to The Master. "What…what's going on?"

"I'm taking The Master to Terra." Trigger replied.

"What inspired this idea?" Yuna asked suspiciously. "I can't allow you to do that. That would be the same as killing him."

"Mistress-"

"You aren't going anywhere." Yuna cut off The Master before he could try to persuade her. "Please escort him back in to the residence, Trigger." She asked politely. Trigger, however, didn't show any signs of complying. "Trigger…don't do anything rash. You're smarter than this."

"Yuna…" Trigger gripped The Master's hand. "I'm sorry!" He said quickly before running in the opposite direction with the blonde young man.

"Trigger!" She called out his name but the commander vanished in to a portal with the Master before she could utter another word. She sighed in defeat and shook her head. "I didn't want this to happen but…you forced it upon yourself."

* * *

"Trigger is doing what?" Sera stood up from her seat, alerting Geetz. "He's going to take the Master to Terra? Well what are you waiting for Yuna? Get the hunters after him!" In her past time functioning, Sera had not raised her voice once. It was of no surprise to her that Trigger would be the first to make her. She turned to Geetz with a look of irritation that even caught him off guard. "Come Geetz! We have a new Maverick threat and I intend to deal with it personally."

* * *

_**EMERGENCY CALL! ALL UNIT'S REPORT! ATTENTION PLEASE, ATTENTION PLEASE! EMERGENCY CALL! ALL UNIT'S REPORT!**_

The klaxons sounded off, alerting all the hunters. They all reported to the briefing room where the information regarding the emergency was being gathered. Amongst the hunters, Nero, Iris, Alia, and Striker were present. Of them four, Alia had a horrible feeling that she knew who the new Maverick threat was.

"What's going on?" Nero demanded to know.

"Where is Trigger?" Iris asked Alia. "Why isn't he present?"

"I don't know…" Alia replied nervously.

"_**Attention Commanders!"**_ The briefing leader called their attention. _**"We've just been sent an emergency threat by the EDEN council! As we speak, The Master is being taken away from Elysium by force!"**_

"What the hell?" Nero cursed. "Are those servitor units doing their jobs or what?"

"For us to be called, it must be out of control." Striker commented.

"But who could it possibly be?" Iris asked.

"Where is Trigger?" Nero asked Alia.

"_**The Irregular has been declared by Mistress Sera as…Second Commander Trigger?" **_The spotter dropped her com-link as though it was some sort of hazard. "H-how could this be possible?" She cried out in shock. "Trigger?" There was a violent stir amongst the Commanders at this information.

"Trigger?" Nero questioned in disbelief. "Trigger a maverick? I can't believe this!"

"Nevertheless," Striker got their attention, "We must carry out what is asked of us."

"What are you saying?" Iris snapped at the Third Commander. "Trigger is one of us! He'll always be one of us!" She turned to Alia for support and cried out, "Come on Alia! Say something!"

"I don't know…what to say." Alia whispered.

"…We're going to get to the bottom of this." Nero said grimly. "Whether we like what we find or not…"

_**[**_ _**Checking out Trigger's Situation**__** ]**__**  
**_

"Trigger…" The Master wheezed as his body finally began to suffer exhaustion from all the running they had been doing. "I-I can't keep this up anymore. My body…just can't go on." He pulled his hand away from Trigger's and doubled over to catch his breath. "I'm not going to make it."

"Master." Trigger grabbed his hand again. "There is no turning back from this." With that he hefted The Master in to his arms and started pumping his legs for all they were worth. "Now, what is the fastest way to the docks?"

"We can't take the fast route now." The Master replied. "Yuna managed to scare us away before we could reach it!"

_That isn't what I wanted to hear! _ The former commander inwardly grimaced. He heard the clanking of other footsteps resounding against the metal floor and stole a glance over his shoulder to see a squad of guard reploids on his tail. "They've finally called some security! Now the hard part starts!"

"Stop Commander!" yelled one of the pursuing reploids. "This isn't rational thinking here! Let go of the Master!"

"Sorry…" Trigger muttered under his breath. "No can do." He ran to the ledge of the catwalk they were running on and jumped on the safety rail before kicking off with all his might. Both he and Master plunged to the depths below until Trigger landed on another catwalk, leaving a big dent. "Are you alright master?" Trigger asked when he continued his run.

"Well…that sure was an experience." He replied, looking a little startled.

"Can you direct us to the Shuttle docks from here?" Trigger asked hopefully.

"Perhaps." The Master replied. "But you're going to have to exit out in to the main square if you want some good directions. I'm no use to you here."

"Alright then…" Trigger hastened himself. "To the Main square we go!" He rushed past the working reploids and humans in the gateway and reached the exit. When he made it outside he heard the report of a few gunshots and quickly turned so the master wouldn't get hit by any of the stray shots.

"Trigger!" The Master called out but the commander didn't respond at all. He merely set the blonde young man on his feet and ordered, "Hide in a place where they won't be able to find you." Trigger gave his back to face the shooters and went on, "I've got some business to take care of."

"All right." The Master complied.

"Trigger." Striker said his name. "I would have never predicted that I'd face off with you." He stood in front of the members of his unit and drew his dual pistols from their holsters. "Let's duel."

"I don't want to fight any of you." Trigger declined.

"My apologies." Striker shook his head regretfully. "It's orders." He aimed his dual pistols at Trigger and the former commander ran forward. Striker squeezed the triggers, letting off round after round in Trigger's direction but the blue bomber was swift, sliding under the shots and taking the other commander down with a leg sweep. When Striker hit the floor, Trigger tried to follow up with a punch to his jaw but Striker kicked him in the chest, forcing him backwards.

Striker took a few more shots to force some distance between him and Trigger before kicking both his legs over his head to jerk forward quickly and land on his feet. Trigger finally decided to utilize his buster cannon, shooting a plasmas shot in Striker's direction but the other commander swerved to the side to avoid it and continued the gunfight, returning the attack with a few more shots from his dual pistols. The former commander braced himself with his right arm, forcing the bullets to bounce off his armor so he could get a clear shot at Striker. When he was at point blank range he charged the plasma energy in his buster cannon and unleashed the shot, sending Striker flying in to a nearby building!

"That's one down." Trigger said to himself. The members of the Third Unit, seeing that their commander had been dispatched, decided to take the fight in to their own hands. They all aimed their dual pistols at Trigger and opened fire all at once. Trigger rolled to the side to avoid the wave of fire and sprinted behind the pillars of a nearby building.

"Trigger!" He heard The Master call his name from behind a fountain.

"Get going to the shuttle docks!" Trigger ordered. "I'll meet up with you!"

"Alright but-"

"Don't hesitate!" Trigger snapped. "Get going!" He refrained from taking cover when the pillar finally started to crumble from all of the shots it had taken. Trigger dashed across the street, avoiding all the gunfire and ran in to an alley. The klaxons suddenly sounded again and the former commander knew he was spotted. As soon as he made it out in to the next street he heard his name called.

"Trigger!" Sera yelled. "Where is the Master! She was accompanied by Nero and Iris, which is all that was really needed for a situation like this. Nero could have taken any number of Mavericks on by himself. Bringing in Iris was overkill.

"It wouldn't be in my best interest to reveal that information." Trigger replied.

"Fool!" Sera snapped. Trigger was surprised to hear her raising her voice. "I already told you what would happen if the master goes to Terra! The environment is a drastic change from Elysium! His body won't be able to adapt!"

"This is what he wants to escape!" Trigger yelled back at her. "He no longer wishes to be bound to this colony!" Trigger stared her dead in the eyes. "You know I wouldn't do anything against the master's will!" Trigger's eyes grew intense as he repeated, "You know that!"

"The words of a Maverick mean nothing to me." Sera replied coldly before she turned to Nero. "You know what to do."

_But…there's something wrong about all of his…_ Nero gripped his saber tightly as he tried to make the right choice. He knew Trigger better than this Mother unit ever could. Trigger wasn't one to do something like this unless he had no choice.

"Commander?" Sera called his attention. "Are you siding with the maverick?"

"Damn…" Nero growled.

"Very well, you and your partner will be declared mavericks just as Trigger has-"

"No!" Nero growled. _Sorry Trigger but…that's the last thing I want for Iris. _"Trigger!" Nero roared. "You'll have to get through me if you want to carry on with this insane mission!"

"Nero!" Iris gasped, but the crimson reploid already charged forward with his blade poised for the attack.

_So this is how it goes? _Trigger thought as he watched his former friend come closer with each step. _So be it!_ Trigger aimed his buster cannon at Nero but eh crimson reploid reacted much faster than he did, jumping in to the air and delivering a solid kick to his face. Trigger staggered back from the painful strike but he recovered just before Nero could slash at him with his saber. The former commander whipped around with an elbow to Nero's face when the beam saber passed over his head and followed up with a head butt.

"Finally!" Nero grinned. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me!" He rushed forward with a combo of four slashes which Trigger managed to dodge before countering with a shot from his buster cannon but Nero deflected it with his saber and attempted to deal an overhead slash to the fellow commander. Trigger, seeing as there was no chance of avoiding the attack, braced himself by crossing his arms over his head. The beam saber crackled when it came in contact with Trigger's arms and he could feel his circuits sizzling.

"Hyaaa!" Trigger roared as he forced Nero away from him. His arms popped and crackled with sparks but he stood his ground regardless. He charged forward, jumping over a slash from Nero and performing a summersault to get behind the crimson commander. When he had Nero's back he charged a powered shot and unleashed it but Nero whipped around and fought against the powerful blast with his saber. The plasma blast pushed Nero back causing his feet to dig in to the ground but he finally managed to force it upwards. Trigger used Nero's momentary distraction to is advantage and jumped in to the air to whip around with a mid-air roundhouse. The kick connected with Nero's jaw, sending him to the floor.

_I see…_Sera mused to herself as she watched Nero position himself on his back and turn his hips to the left before jerking them to the right._...Trigger is more than what meets the eye. He his holding well against his own comrades without dealing fatalities..._ The crimson reploid started spinning in a what resembled a break dance maneuver. Trigger jumped away to avoid the kicks from Nero and took aim at him before shooting a plasma shot but Nero somehow managed to deflect it back at him with his saber. Trigger was sent flying backwards from the impact until he crashed in to the floor, skidding back until he was at Iris's feet.

"Where is the master Trigger?" Sera asked.

"You are not so wise, Sera." Trigger replied.

"Excuse me?" The Mother unit raised an eyebrow but Trigger stood up and rushed forward to continue his duel with Nero before she could get an answer.

"Trigger…why do you continue?" Nero grimaced when he saw his fellow commander rushing towards him, looking a mess. He received quite a bit of damage but he still fought on regardless. _It's no wonder you were assigned the position of Second Commander. Had you not been so compassionate towards your enemies, you would have taken the position of First Commander easily._ Nero slashed at Trigger when he was within arms reach but the former commander ducked under the slash and linked his arm around the arm Nero used to hold his beam saber, effectively disabling him. "Damn...what made you turn to this Trigger?"

"You don't understand." Trigger told him, struggling as Nero tried to wrench free from the hold. "I would never do anything to hurt the Master. He requested that I do this." Trigger gestured to Sera with his other hand. "And she knows it too."

"I don't understand."

"I don't quite understand either." Trigger sighed. "This has been a very bizarre day for me. Just a few hours ago Alia confessed that she loved me." His words struck Nero hard. That was not what he expected to hear during a duel of all things.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah." Trigger nodded.

"I always had a feeling but you two always seemed so distant towards each other." Nero narrowed his eyes in disappointment. "Then what the hell are you doing throwing away your life like this?"

"I fell that I must do this Nero...I guess you wouldn't understand since you have all that you want here." Trigger smirked slightly. "To tell you the truth, without seeing you and Iris interact I would have never understood Alia's feelings for me. So please...I must do this for the Master's sake." At his words Nero simply stared at him silently. He stopped his struggling but he didn't reply to Trigger's words; not until he stole a glance at Iris.

"Trigger...you always were an enigma to me." Nero admitted. "I never understood you well. You were always so different from the rest of us...and for you to leave Alia just as she confesses her love to you simply...mystifies me." Nero shook his head. "Such an idiot, I swear, but...I'll let you go."

"Nero-"

"I'll never forgive you for leaving a flower like the Alia behind, but...we're still partners."

"Thanks." Trigger chuckled. "Take care of Alia for me, huh?"

"No problem." Nero grit his teeth. "But we need to make this look convincing in front of Mistress Sera or I could very well get in trouble." Nero's eyes wandered over to Trigger's buster cannon. "You're going to have to shoot me."

"What?"

"No holding back." Nero hissed at him, eyes narrowed in preparation. "Shoot me now!"

"But..." Trigger hesitated for a while before finally nodding and he began charging his buster cannon. "...Alright..."

"There you go." Nero grinned when he saw the buster cannon at maximum power. "Now do it!"

"Take care, old friend." Trigger bid him farewell before he unleashed the plasma blast upon the crimson reploid. Nero eyes were filled with the white light that discharged the cannon for a brief moment before his beam saber went flying in to the wall beside them and he was sent crashing through the window of the building behind him. Iris cried out in horror when she saw her commander disappear in the rubble. "Forgive me." Trigger told her before running past her and Sera.

_This is beginning to irritate me!_ Sera inwardly fumed although her emotions didn't betray her stoic expression. Then her eyes widened slightly when she realized where Trigger was heading. "The shuttle docks." She thought aloud. "Why didn't I think of that earlier? It was so obvious." She tapped the red button on her com-link. This would be the final line of defense against the rogue maverick. "Hunter base." She said, watching Trigger's fleeting form. "Have the Second Unit stationed at the shuttle docks. The Maverick is heading there now."

**_"Yes, Mistress Sera..."_** The spotter complied reluctantly.

**_[ Shuttle docks blockade... ]  
_**

"So this is how it all ends, hmm?" Alia said to no one in particular as she stood posted at the very front of the Second Unit. This was a situation she definitely didn't want to be in. Usually she would depend on her Commander Trigger for guidance but fate had a knack for twisting things for the worst. Everyone in the unit didn't want to carry out the order that they were given. They simply couldn't believe that they were to eliminate their own former commander. Alia's eyes darted around in search of Trigger to see if he would make an appearance with the Master but he was nowhere in sight.

"Is he taking another course?" Alia pondered. This was beginning to work on her nerves! "Huh?" A blue speck in the distance holding a blue and blonde speck caught her attention. "Here they come..."

"There they are." The Master pointed out the Second Unit for Trigger as though he had not noticed already. It was pretty hard to miss an entire unit even from afar. "Excuse me?" The blonde asked politely, "But isn't that your unit?"

"It was." Trigger answered with a frown. "This is going to get really difficult." He muttered before increasing his speed. He looked for some other way around them but the entrance was directly behind them. There was no way around this conflict. "Looks like I'll have to punch through their defense after all."

_Alia...please forgive me._ He inwardly prayed as he neared their position, however, instead of opening fire on him like he expected, Alia held her hand out to keep everyone from taking aim. He gradually slowed down his speed until he came to a halt before the new Commander of the Second Unit. The Master looked awkwardly at the look both commanders shared and decided not to speak.

"Trigger, please let the Master go." Alia requested. "I don't want to open fire on you."

"I never wanted to have this conflict with you, Alia." Trigger replied. "Please, you must understand the purpose of this mission."

"You're throwing your life away Trigger!" She scolded him. "Why would you do something so stupid? I don't understand why you would turn to this. The EDEN council wants us to eliminate you." Alia crossed her arms. "But I'm sure if you surrender-"

"I don't think so..." Trigger cut her off. "Sera isn't going to give me another chance. She was probably waiting for this opportunity to get rid of me."

"I don't understand. What would she possibly have against you?"

"Alia, there's no turning back from the path I've chosen." Trigger frowned. "I don't want our relationship to end with violence. So please...allow me to pass."

"I am the one who asked him to do this, Ms. Alia." The Master finally spoke up.

"...I hate you." Alia hissed at The Master.

"My apologies." He apologized sincerely. "This is all my fault."

"Just go." Alia growled at the both of them. "Open a path for them! All of you!" She barked at the reploids behind her. Trigger smiled at her as he started off to walk through them but just as he was about to walk past her she grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him towards her to capture his lips. Being that Trigger was still holding the Master while all of this was happening, the human was practically crushed between both kissing reploids.

_Well..._The Master thought as Trigger and Alia began to get lost in the passion of their kiss._...I hope they don't keep this up too long. Oooookay...maybe they're almost ready to part...alright...maybe not...Okay, now if they keep this going we'll be apprehended before we even get on the shuttle._ The Master tapped Trigger on the shoulder, managing to get his attention as he reluctantly pulled away from Alia and said, "Mistress Sera should be coming now."

"Oh." Trigger snapped out of his daze. "You're right." He turned back to Alia and offered her a wistful look. "This is our final good-bye Alia. I know I have no right to say this but...go on living well, alright?"

"Just get going, idiot." Alia told him. "Go before I change my mind about letting you leave."

"Thank you Alia...I'll always keep you close to my hea-"

"GET GOING WILL YA?" She screamed, almost bursting in to tears.

"Y-yes ma'am." Trigger was off like a bullet. Alia's eyes never left his fleeting form until she couldn't make him out anymore. There he was...gone forever and she could do nothing to get him back. She didn't allow any tears to slip out since her subordinates were still present but she could barely keep it in.

_Farewell Trigger..._

_...For now..._

* * *

It was dark in Terra, however, the sight of the moon and stars in the calm evening sky was a pleasure to bask in. Unlike Elysium there was a natural feel to this world. It wasn't cold and metallic like most of Elysium was. The Master gradually felt weaker as he took each breath but his eyes were completely filled with life at the sight of nature. Trigger sat upon a rock near the shuttle they had taken to travel to Terra, looking up at the sky to reflect upon his memories. He knew it would be impossible to return to Elysium without the likely hood of hostility. He couldn't help but wonder though...how Nero and Iris was doing or more importantly, how Alia was doing. Would she make the perfect commander he expected her to be? Would she possibly feel lonely now that he was gone?

"...My new life begins..." He whispered to the cold evening air. He looked over his shoulder briefly to see The Master looking at the city beyond the hill they were on. He had to admit that it looked rather stunning when compared to the cold stillness of Elysium. Even though he couldn't see the people very well, he could tell that the city was filled with vibrant life. _But I still can't help but wonder. That Master won't be able to go on much longer now that he's been exposed to Terra's environment. In the end was coming here really worth it when he will eventually die soon?_

"Listen. To the sounds of every day life. The sounds of city life. The smell, of evening meals being prepared. All this and more we in Elysium have lost. Thank you, Trigger." The Master turned away from the view of the city and faced the former commander. "Thanks to you, I have finally been able to experience this for myself. For 3,000 years, I have been free from hardship and pain. A life of luxury and ease obeying my heart's these people, grateful for the simple joys of life, I wonder, was I truly happy? I have made up my mind, Trigger."

"Carry out, my final command.I want you to destroy the System. I realize now that we were my mistake. Make things, right again." The Master pulled out a small ship from his robe and handed it to Trigger before he continued, "This is, a good luck charm. As long as you have it, no one can stop or harm you. Return to all data from the Library, you understand? Please, Trigger."

"Master..." Trigger couldn't believe this was seriously happening. He seriously wanted him to go back to the very world he had betrayed? "It'll be impossible to go back now!"

"As much as I hate doing this to you...I won't last much longer." The Master explained. "I won't be able to make an impact on the EDEN council, strong enough to persuade them to change the system. This can only be accomplished through a forceful shutdown." The Master placed his hand over Trigger's and squeezed it tightly. "You have proven to be a very capable reploid with limitless potential. You have the power to move the hearts of others. These unique abilities does not leave a doubt in my mind that you can do this." Trigger's eyes went wide with surprise when the Master suddenly fell against him. His breathing started to become shallow.

"M-master!" Trigger panicked.

"Hm! It looks as though...My time has finally come. I know I cannot survive long outside of Elysium. " The Master pushed against Trigger's shoulders so he could get a good look art the reploid's face. "Before...Goodbye, Trigger. Thank you for all you have done for me... All these many years...I go now, into the arms of life...true Mother..." With that he smiled for a moment before resting upon the former commander.

He was gone...

_"And so..I have a final mission to fulfill."_ He muttered. _"I've no more friends to depend on. I am alone in this world."_ He held a moment of silence for his lost friend, however, it was not meant to last long. The ground beneath him suddenly began to rumble violently and the clouds in the evening sky parted. "W-what's that?" Trigger held the Master protectively when he made out a monstrous figure that resembled a golden phoenix descending upon the shuttle site.

_**"TRIGGER!"**_ Came a furious scream as the golden phoenix landed upon the ground with a tremor. The purifier almost fell to the ground but he managed to keep a steady footing. The mechanical monster bowed to the ground and Trigger realized that someone was riding it. To his growing dread the rider was none other than Mistress Sera. The Mother unit jumped off of Geetz and landed on the ground lightly, her eyes piercing Trigger's own with her fierce gaze. She saw the Master lying against the former commander and clutched her chest as though her heart began to ache at the sight.

"So...he's gone?" Her words sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Yes." Trigger answered her.

"...I see..." Sera nodded her head before ordering, "Lay him down."

"What?"

"I said lay him down!" Sera demanded the second time clenching her left hand into a tight fist furiously. "Your hands defile his purity! Listen to me, Maverick, you will pay for your crimes!"

"So you still wish to fight?" Trigger asked, laying The Master upon the grassy hillside. "I figured this was going to happen. It was inevitable." He looked down at the condition of his body and almost felt like laughing to himself in spite of the situation. Here he was in practically the worst condition to fight and he was about to face a Mother unit of all possible people. He wasn't exactly sure what Sera was capable of, but he was about to find out.

"Since I am away from Elysium I cannot tap into my full reserve of power, however..." Sera's eyes burned in the darkness like embers. "...It should be more than enough to wipe out a lowly purifier model such as yourself. I will show you no mercy, maverick."

_Mavericks? They use those words for those that don't bend to their will. We oppose them in any way and they call upon our own to dispose of us." _Alia's words echoed within Trigger's mind as he readied himself for combat.

"I am no maverick!" He retorted. "I am Trigger, former Commander of the Second Unit! Friend of The Master and former protector of Elysium! I've thrown away my life and my love in order to find justice and I will not fall now!" He aimed his buster cannon at Sera and smirked at her to the bitter end. "Now, face me!"

**_Memory Defragment...Error encountered... Life systems at 100 percent..._**

**_Systems Start up...5...4...3...2...1..._**

**_Rebooting..._**

* * *

_Where...am I?_ Megaman himself in complete darkness and ran his right hand over his face to find a bandage wrapped around his eyes. There was something wrapped around his mouth as well. It was the mask for the respirator. "What are these things?" He ripped off the bandage from his eyes as he sat up on the bed he was laying in, taking in the sight of the hospital room and proceeded to remove the mask. "What is this place anyway?"

He stood up from the bed and pulled away the curtain that was surrounding the bed to see something that sent him on full alert. There, sitting in the seats beside the door were non other than Mistress Sera and Mistress Yuna. There was something horribly wrong about this whole situation and he didn't like it at all. "What is the meaning of this?" He looked to his right arm when it didn't transform in to his trusty buster cannon. "My body...it's not responding!"

Sera saw some movement within Megaman's room and tapped Yuna on the shoulder quickly.

"What is it?" The gentle mother unit asked.

"Trigger is awake." Sera informed her.

"Are you serious?" Yuna was up on her feet in no time. She quickly entered the room, much to Megaman's fright and embraced him around his waist. The purifier unit stiffened up at the unexpected contact and blinked in confusion. Why was she hugging him for?

"Y-Yuna?" Megaman said her name questionably.

"It's so good to see you awake again!" She hugged him even tighter.

_Am I suffering from delusions? _He cocked his head to the side.

"Welcome back Trigger." Sera greeted him with a faint smile. "It's been a while."

"S-Sera?"

"Are you surprised?"

"I can't say that I was expecting this..." Megaman admitted. He found himself even more confused when Sera approached him and followed Yuna's example by embracing him as well. _W-WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? This is just a dream right? A reeeeeeaaaally bad dream!_ He raised his head to regard the door of his hospital room when he heard some running steps approaching.

"What's with all the talking in here?" Roll's voice rang as the steps got closer. "Who are you talki-" Roll's jaw fell when she saw the scene unfolding before her. She had to be dreaming because here she saw Megaman standing around as though a day had never passed that he wasn't conscious and to make things even more bizzare...Sera was hugging him...

"M-M-Mega...Megaman?" Roll's eyes were filled with tears of joy.

"Excuse me?" Megaman cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Who's that?"

"MEGAMAN!" Roll rushed over to him with arms wide open to receive him. Megaman on the other hand had the sudden urge to run for dear life. Who was this blonde girl and why the hell was she trying to grab him?

"W-who are you?"

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._****_  
_**

* * *

**_Next Chapter: Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc_**

**_Episode Six: Retracing Steps_**

_With the young hero awake, The Casketts are just about ready to celebrate but they find everything crashing down over their heads when they realize that Megaman doesn't even remember them. He only recognizes the Mother unit's and things get worse when Sera starts to turn up the heat with her sudden interest in the blue bomber! What's more? The Mayor of Kattelox calls, asking that the young hero comes to pay the city a visit just in time to meet Tron and her brothers who were planning another pillaging._

_Will Tron finally manage to bring the amnesiac hero over to her side or will Roll get him to remember their past together? Even more important, will Sera keep her hands off of him?_

_...You know the drill. Wait till the next chapter..._**_  
_**


	6. Trigger or Megaman

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Megaman…however….nope, nevermind….

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist _**

**_Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc_**

_By Traingham_

_

* * *

_

_**Episode Six: Retracing Steps**_

_**

* * *

**_

_The chief of Haven Island's police force cautiously ascended the steps of the Main Bank with his deputies following not far behind him, hands resting upon the holsters of their guns, at the ready for action. One of the accountants had alerted the police station through the silent alarm. There was a bank robbery in progress and the rumored criminals were the Bonne Family, the infamous sky pirates that were single-handedly responsible for the aggressive takeover of Kattleox. At the very mention of them the Chief could not have been any more nervous. They were quite notorious after all…_

"Oh…why couldn't they have picked one of the neighboring islands?" The Chief groaned woefully as his hands trembled upon the holster for his gun. His deputies took note his panicked behavior and bowed their heads in defeat. This was definitely not their day.

"Can you hear anything, Chief?" The deputy behind him asked in a near whisper.

"Give me a moment." The Chief replied before realizing just how close the deputy had shifted near him. "Put some distance between us you pansy!" He snapped at the spineless deputy.

"S-sorry sir!" He apologized, backing away clumsily, almost bumping in to the other officer behind him. They all leaned in the direction of the door, concentrating their hearing on the commotion that was taking place inside the bank before exchanging unsure glances at each other. Unless their ears were playing tricks on them, they could swear that they heard the voices of children coming from within.

"Um…what's going on I there?" The officer at the very end of the line asked, but the other officers shushed him.

"Thank you for cooperating!" Servbot # 1 thanked the citizens that were kneeling on the floor with their hands laced behind their heads. If it had not been for the fact that their captives were cute looking robots this would have been a heart pounding scene. "If you don't move this will all go by smoothly!" The way the servbot spoke sounded more as though they were playing a game as opposed to staging a bank robbery. He turned back to #12 to tell him that the situation was under control and the fellow servbot nodded before walking behind the counter where Tron and some of the other serbots were gathering the zenny in bulging sacks.

"Everything is under control, Ms. Tron!" Servbot #12 reported.

"Good job!" The lovely pirate praised him much to his delight. She refrained from the loot gathering, adjusting her shades as she stood upright and had her servbots continue without her. "I'd say if we pull off another few jobs we'll at least be halfway to earning ourselves the money to rebuild the Gesellchaft!" She looked to her utility belt when she heard her walkie-talkie crackle with static.

"_**Hey sis? You there?"**_ Came Teisel's voice.

"I'm here Teisel." Tron responded, holding the receiver next to her mouth. "What's the matter?"

"_**It looks like somebody tripped the alarm. You've got some cops surrounding the bank!"**_

"Oh…" Tron turned her head to regard the frightened accountants and furrowed her brows in annoyance as she went on, "Is that so? Well, don't worry about me Teisel. I'm sure I can handle them without a problem."

"_**Heh, heh. I'm glad to see that you're back to your old self sis! Go get em'!**_

"You bet!" Tron faked a laugh before clipping the walkie-talkie on her belt again. The grin from her lips faltered, falling in to a melancholy frown. "Man…this is such a bore. What good are a bunch of cops going to do?" _They got nothing on Megaman…_ Tron caught herself blushing at the thought of the young hero and shook her head quickly to snap out of her daze. _Oh! Stay out of my thoughts you jerk! It's hard enough doing this now that you're not around to stop me!_

"Ms. Tron!"#7 called her attention. "We are done gathering the zenny!"

"Then let's deal with the fuzz." Tron said with a look of pure boredom plastered across her face. "Let's see…" She looked blankly at the bank door before a slight look of amusement crossed her face. "Well at least this gives me a chance to test out the Feldynaught armor." She turned to her servbots and pumped her fist in the air. "Let's go!"

"Yes Ms. Tron!" They all said in unison.

_(Ahem…Cue the Bonne's theme…yes, I know you can't hear it…)_

The cops all came out of their vehicles and pointed their guns at the entrance just as the pirates walked out.

"_**Put your hands up where we can see them!"**_ The Chief of police ordered on the megaphone. _**"No funny business, Bonnes!"**_ The middle aged man's eyes wandered over to the servbots and for a moment he couldn't help but smile at their deceptively cute appearance. It dropped quickly wen the officer next to him began to stare. _**"U-um…you, too, legomen!"**_

"We don't have time to play like this, fellas." Tron quipped as she unclipped her walkie-talkie and ordered, "Send in the Draches, Teisel."

"_**Gotcha!"**_ Teisel cackled. Tron grinned as she placed her hands on her hips haughtily. Now it was time to make her big scene. She clutched her jacket in a dramatic fashion and pulled it off to reveal a pink vest with the trademark Bonne skull decorating her chest. "Feldynaught armor," Tron pressed a button on her waist and the metallic vest twisted and wrapped around her body until she was clad in a pink armor that held a resemblance towards Megaman's blue armor with the exception of the carrier unit on her back. "Engage!"

Just as the draches flew overhead to open fire on the police vehicles, the carrier unit on Trons back transformed into four spider-like legs with wheels at the ends; In short, Tron had become a human version of her beloved Feldynaught war mech. "Ha, ha!" She laughed at the stunned expressions on every cop's face as she revved the wheels and escaped before they could lay a hand on her. The servbots piloting the draches rolled down some rope for the other servbots to escape.

"Whoa." One officer gaped in awe. "Did you see that?" He asked the chief.

"Ask another stupid question and I'll kick your-"

* * *

[ Back at the Bonnes ship… ]

_**

* * *

**_

"Alright!" Teisel had a wide grin on his face as he looked at all the zenny they managed to gather from the robbery. He looked to Tron as she plopped down on the couch and exclaimed, "Now we're just another step closer to rebuilding the Gesellchaft and this time we're getting no help from Loath!"

"Swell…" Tron muttered dully, folding her legs as her brother laughed to himself almost maniacally. The older Bonne stopped himself with a meaningful cough when he realized that the festive mood was far from mutual with his younger sister. She looked to the side disinterestedly with her cheek resting in her right hand, seemingly in another world. It didn't take long for him to associate her mood with a certain young man resting in bed back at Yosyonke Hospital.

"Heeeeey, Tron." He called to her as he massaged the back of his neck awkwardly. "Um, whaddya say we visit the blue boy after we're done with the next job, huh?"

"Really?" Tron's face lit up with life instantly at his suggestion, however, she caught herself and cleared her throat before saying, "I mean…sure, why not?" _I can't let the blonde keep him all to herself! For all I know he's probably awake and she doesn't even plan on telling me about it!_

"I'll take that as a yes then…" Teisel grinned. She did look cute whenever she tried to hide her true feelings.

"So where are we doing the next job, huh, Teisel?" Tron asked, kicking her legs up and down impatiently. Feeling motivated once again, she wanted to know their next target so she could set them on course for their destination. The quicker they got there, the quicker she would be able to get things done and return to Megaman.

"Kattelox!" Teisel offered her a toothy grin with that oh-so-familiar, _"Ain't-I-A-Genius?"_, look on his goofy face. "Nobody will ever see it coming! It'll be the perfect chance to gather some more loot!"

"Kattelox?" A blush blossomed on her face as she recalled a few of her fond memories. Most of them may have involved her precious machines being blown to bits in the end, but they were fond memories regardless.

_Yep…_ Teisel nodded at his own brilliant idea. _ Where we first got into this whole mess! But man was it all worth it!_

* * *

[ Setting our sights back on Yosyonke Hospital…. ]

_**

* * *

**_

"I don't….understand what's going on…." Megaman mumbled sheepishly as he massaged the back of his neck. By bowing his head slightly he could still see both Mother units and Roll hugging him as if he would disappear if they were to let go. Now, it wasn't that he didn't appreciate the affection that they were showing him, not at all, but there was something about being hugged by Mistress Sera that did not quite seem…normal, if one were to put it so delicately. It was akin to waking up the morning after having an explosive argument with someone, and finding them snuggled in your arms, and they were an assassin who was after your life. Then there was this blonde girl wearing the red hat. Who was she anyway?

"Hey guys…" Megaman picked up another voice from outside. "The doctor said not to disturb-" Barrel stopped dead in his tracks in front of the room when he saw Megaman standing on his own two feet. "M-Megaman, my boy! You're awake!" The old digger hurried in to the room with a warm smile concealed beneath his bushy beard. "I knew it wouldn't be too long before you recovered."

"Recovered?" Megaman questioned curiously. "Recovered from what?" His question made Roll and Barrel blink, well, Roll anyway. Their confusion plunged even deeper when Megaman went on to ask, "And where am I?" His green eyes swiveled over to Roll curiously. "Who are you?"

_Huh? What is he talking about?_ Roll thought nervously with an unnerved smile. Why did he sound so confused to see them? "Um…what do you mean, Megaman?" Roll asked with a forced chuckle. "I'm Roll…your best friend, remember?" She asked, sure that he was simply playing a joke on her to shake her up.

"Roll?" A troubled expression graced his features as he tried hard to remember who this girl was, but no matter how hard he tried to dig deep within his memories he couldn't find anyone by the name, "Roll". Then again…there was just something faintly familiar about her. It was the voice…there was something eerie about her voice. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember you." Megaman apologized. His words made Roll hug him tighter as she buried her face into the side of his shoulder.

"St-stop kidding around with me, Megaman." She told him. "Can't you see that we were really worried about you? I'm just not in the mood for that kind of humor right now..."

"But I'm not, miss." He told her politely, sounding chillingly detached from her. It even shook Barrel to the core to hear the young man sound so genuinely unfamiliar and formal with the lovely engineer. The warmth that Megaman would normally employ when he interacted with Roll was completely undetectable with the way he was behaving now. Even the look in his eyes were uncharacteristically distant as he went on to tell her, "I don't recall ever seeing you before." He cocked his head to the side when she let go of him and backed away. "Are you alright?"

"…Excuse me." Roll said softly before she left the room without another word. Yuna looked back at the door in worry before turning to her sister, "Don't you think it's time you explained to Megaman what happened?"

"Excuse me." Barrel got both Mistress's attention. "But what exactly is going on here? Roll is going through enough as it is, and now Megaman doesn't even remember us?"

"Megaman? Why does everybody keep calling me that?" Megaman furrowed his eyebrows. "My name is, Trigger." He backed away from Yuna and Sera to place a distance between them, finally unnerved by the close proximity they had been sharing. "What happened to me? Is there another side to me that I'm unaware of?"

"Yes…" Yuna answered him much to his shock.

The purifier opened his mouth, closing it for a moment to consider his words before opening it again, "H-how…long have I been out?" He asked hesitantly, sounding as though a part of him didn't want to hear the answer to his own question.

"About three days." Barrel replied much to his vexation.

"And what caused me to lose consciousness?" Megaman asked.

"You gave up your life essence to revive my body." Sera answered him. The purifier unit crossed his arms and regarded all of them silently as though he was trying to decide whether their answers were trustworthy. The last thing he remembered was facing off against Sera up on the hillside of the carbon city. Everything after that was vague and indescribable. It almost felt as though he had gone to sleep and awoken a refreshed person in a world that had passed him by and yet this old man was telling him that only three days had passed since that night? What was this business about giving up his life for Sera? She would be the last person he'd ever think of giving his up life for and yet…it could explain why she was behaving so oddly. Facial expressions were supposedly non-existent to the cold mother unit…key word, _supposedly_. Right now she looked at him with…amusement?

"I'm lost…" Megaman admitted. "Can someone please explain the whole story to me?"

"Gladly." Yuna told him with her usual smile. "Take a seat though. You're in for a story." She said before looking back at Barrel. "By the way, where is Data?"

"With Matilda." Barrel replied.

"We're going to need him if we intend to inform Megaman about what happened on…Kattelox, was it?" The Mother unit said the name of the island as though it sounded quite foreign to her which was a surprise seeing as how she had been roaming Terra for quite some time

"I'll get him right now." Barrel nodded and took his leave. When the old digger was out of the scene, Sera closed the door and both Mother unit's turned their attention back to Megaman or "Trigger" as they formerly knew him.

"First of all, Trigger," Sera started off, "I wish to apologize to you for whatever misunderstandings we had in the past." Sera crossed her arms behind her back awkwardly. "I was so…protective of The Master that I did not wish to see harm come to him."

"…Go on." Megaman said softly.

"I was also…envious of your bond with him. You two were so close and yet no matter how much I attempted to form a similar relationship, he spurned me." Sera's voice got lower as she went on. "I realize it was because of my cold nature. You were compassionate and understanding of others; so much of the opposite from me and so I always felt a growing irritation whenever I was near you."

"Why?"

"Because I knew I could never become someone like you." Sera admitted. "So I tried my best to change you from what you were. I wanted to take away your compassion and turn you in to just another Irregular hunter but you resisted me no matter how hard I had tried. You spared Juno's life despite his actions against you and your companions." Sera turned her back on him. "I simply couldn't understand how you were so capable of such things. At first I assumed it was because you were weak, however…after seeing you stand up to the entire Hunter force my view changed about you. I regarded you as the ultimate threat to Elysium's ethics." She turned back to him. "So I decided to eliminate you personally. I went against the EDEN by doing so and in the process I caused casualties. I understood what I had done wrong and yet I was compelled to resist so I was imprisoned, holding an eternal grudge against you, the purifier that was the root of all these complex thoughts and emotions."

"I apologize for what suffering I may have caused you to go through." Megaman apologized as well but Sera held up a hand to stop him from going on any further.

"You already made your apologies, Trigger." Sera stopped him. "I only wish to be the opposite of enemies."

"Friends?" Megaman sounded like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You want to be friends?"

"Yes." Sera nodded. Yuna clasped her hands together in delight and had the widest grin on her face as Sera began to blush again. Megaman inhaled sharply at the rosy hue on her cheeks and cleared his throat before replying, "U-um…that would be nice."

"You accept?" Sera asked uneasily. Her short stature accompanied by her young appearance gave the illusion of an embarrassed little girl.

"Of course." Megaman nodded.

"This is too adorable for words!" Yuna squealed excitedly like a giddy school girl. "Megaman is an agreeable influence on you Sera!" She giggled.

"Yuna, would you settle down?" Sera asked in annoyance.

"Sorry." She stifled another laugh.

"Can you two please tell me what's going on now?" Megaman pleaded.

"Be patient." Both Mother units shushed him at the same time.

"…Fine."

_**[ **_After the explanation…_** ]**_

"Wow…so I experienced all that while I was on Terra?" Megaman slumped against the chair he was sitting on and placed a hand on his forehead. Kattelox, Yosyonke, Clozer, Manda, Pirates, Bonnes, Digs, Glyde, Klaymoor, Bola, Ira; all these things and more were what he heard. He heard about his adventures on Kattelox from Data and his countless digs. The separate data drive informed him of his many encounters with the Bonne Pirates and all the other vibrant people he forged bonds with on Kattelox, leading up to his final duel with Juno for the fate of all the inhabitants of the island.

Barrel then explained to him about his close bond with the blonde girl he had met moments ago when he first awoke from his comatose state. Her name was Roll Caskett and they had been together for a while. They were partners and best friends through the worst of situations. It was a shame that he had no memory of their adventures together. The missing link in all this was the mysterious people that went by the title, "The Bonne Pirates". Who were they and more importantly, who was Tron? Much like with Roll, there was something about the mention of that name that stirred foreign thoughts within his mind. Perhaps she held more clues regarding this entire mess than the mother units did.

Afterwards, Sera and Yuna explained to him about his adventures for the keys to Elysium and how he had been tricked in to believing it would be the final lead to the _"Mother Lode"_. Sera told him about his confrontation with Geetz and how it all ended with their engagement on the lifeless Elysium within the cold reaches of space. The explanation ended with his sacrifices that lead to his coma.

"I need to catch up on so much." The purifier closed his eyes and sighed. "I really need to apologize to Ms. Roll." He stood up from his seat and started for the door but Barrel stopped him. "Yes?" He asked the old digger.

"Don't call her "Ms. Roll" please."

"Just "Roll" then?" Megaman corrected himself.

"There you go." Barrel grinned. "She should be with her mother, Matilda in the room across from this one.

"Matilda?"

"Don't worry. She knows who you are." Barrel grinned through his bushy beard as he sent him off. He followed Megaman with his eyes to make sure that he entered the right room until the young hero turned around and pointed at the wrong room. The old digger gestured to the room behind him and Megaman went right in. There within the room, Roll was kneeling beside Matilda's bed, clutching her hand as the older Caskett sat up straight. Matilda nodded her head in Megaman's direction and Roll glanced over her shoulder to see him. Her eyes were still slightly red from the tears she had undoubtedly been shedding earlier.

"Megaman.." Roll muttered under her breath as she got up. "Do…you remember now? Do you remember me?"

"Um…" Megaman rubbed his left arm with his right hand awkwardly. "Barrel and the others informed me about the whole thing." Roll bowed her head slightly at his words.

"So…you don't remember." She mumbled, turning her head away from him slightly in disappointment.

"I'm sorry. I don't, but I hear that you and I were very close."

"We were." Roll nodded. A pregnant silence was shared between them as they simply stared at each other and Megaman decided to break the silence. "So this is Matilda?" He asked, approaching the elder Caskett. To his intrigue she held out her hand to him in an inviting fashion.

"Yes, she is my mother." Roll grinned through her stinging eyes. "Can't you see the resemblance?" She asked him, taking her spot right beside him.

"It's undeniable." Megaman nodded with a warm smile. "She's very beautiful." Upon hearing the compliment Matilda punched him in the arm playfully.

"She won't be able to talk for a few days." Roll told him. She blinked when her mother started running her right hand through the purifier's hair. "Um…mom…could you stop that?"

"Heh." Megaman chuckled. "She's friendly, huh?"

* * *

_**[ **_Later at the Flutter…._** ]**_

_**

* * *

**_

"This is your room!" Roll introduced Megaman to his old room as she opened the door for him. Hopefully seeing his old room would be able to jog his memory. Well…she hoped so, but with the way the purifier stared at everything inside it didn't look like she was even going to make a dent in his memory loss. "Well?" Roll gave him a light push. "Are you going to go in or what?"

"Sure." He nodded. The room was pretty plain to him except for the obvious evidence that someone had been snooping around. The books on his shelf were lying flat in a fallen domino fashion and the closet didn't look like it was spared in the chaos either. "So…" He slowly turned his head to regard the blonde engineer unsurely, "Was I always this disorganized?"

"Of c-course not!" Roll assured him before she turned way and clenched her fist angrily. _TRON! So this is what she was doing the entire time she crashed here! She must've been looking for his journal or some other personal stuff. Has she no shame at all?_

"Roll?" Megaman called her name. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Roll snapped out of her daze and had a smile on her face in no time as she turned back to face him. " Oh, I'm fine!" She placed a hand on his shoulder and led him out of the room. "I'll just get this cleaned up for you, alright?" Megaman opened his mouth to say something, but Roll closed the door on his face and got to cleaning…and a bit of spying of her own, of course…

"Odd." He shrugged his shoulders and turned to start walking, but he bumped in to something. "S-Sera?" He jumped back in fright when the Mistress fell backwards and hit the floor.

"Your reflexes aren't up to speed, Trigger." Sera groaned, rubbing her sore bottom.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Megaman apologized. She held up her hand for him to take and he stared at it blankly for a moment.

"Help would be nice, Trigger." Sera said with a light hint of annoyance in her voice. Unfortunately it was hard to spot because of the deadpanned expression on her face, but the purifier was able to pick up on enough of the signals to offer her his hand before her mood could grow sour, if that was remotely possible for this particular woman. Having casual meetings like this was going to take some getting used to, and it would take more than just a few days to remedy the unease he felt, standing so close to his nemesis without his buster cannon armed. The seemingly perpetual frown on his handsome face finally disappeared when the mother unit opened her mouth to say, "Thank you."

His hand slipped away from her quickly. "So uh…what were you doing here, Sera?" He asked her sheepishly.

"I was walking around minding my own business." Sera lied, patting off her clothes, "Just walking around the ship."

"Going for a walk in the Flutter?" Megaman raised an eyebrow. _Odd…it almost feels like she just lied to me…but why would she need to lie to me for? _"Alright then, I'll just be on my way." This was definitely getting rather uncomfor-

"Trigger?" Sera suddenly called to him before he could get away.

"Er, yes?" Megaman turned his head with growing dread.

"Will you join me on the roof of the Flutter?" She tried her best not to sound hopeful. When Megaman seemed hesitant she grabbed a hold of his hand and squeezed it lightly. "I will take that as a yes."

"Ok…"

_This is too….awkward!_

_**[ **_To the living room…._** ]**_

"Heh, I'm just glad everything is alright." Bleucher said with a hearty laugh before taking a wholesome bite of Yuna's food. To say that the Mother unit knew how to cook was an understatement. Her skills in the kitchen were so natural that it would not have been the first time that he forgot about the nature of her origins, and the ties she held with Sera. The man was seriously considering having her give lessons to the cooks on the Sulphur Bottom.

"Well it wasn't like you were around to see things go well." Barrel grumbled, taking a generous drink from his cup of tea. His eyes swiveled over to the television for a moment went the news came on, however, since there was nothing remotely interesting to pay any mind to he just focused on his dinner while the set provided chatter in the background.

"Would you guys like more?" Yuna asked with delight, immensely enjoying the reactions she received from the labor of her cooking. Now if only Megaman would come down and have some of it, she would get an even bigger kick out of it.

"Oh, no need to ask." Bleucher chuckled.

"Your cholesterol is high enough as it is, Bleucher." Barrel grumbled to his friend, pointing his fork at his face.

"Think I'd care about that?" Bleucher grumbled back, holding his plate out ot the gentle mother unit so she could fill it again.

"Never mind then." Barrel would have rolled his eyes if it were possible. "Where is Megaman and Roll? They're sure taking their sweet time up there."

"Teenagers…I remember those days." Bluecher began to romanticize, but Barrel stopped him, asking, "What are you getting at, old man?"

The other man looked away, catching himself before he could lose himself elaborating. "O-Oh, nothing."

"Don't worry." Yuna caught on. "Sera went upstairs so I doubt Megaman will be able to have any time alone with Roll."

"Ah, you mean the quiet girl?"

"Yes." Yuna nodded. "I think you'll find her more talkative now that Megaman is out of his coma."

_**-"**__**Breaking news!"-**_ The loud statement from the new reporter on T.V caught the attention of everyone in the living room with the exception of Data who was in hibernation mode on the couch._** –"We have just received news from the hospital at Yosyonke that Megaman has been released after his three day coma!"-**_ They all observed as the reporter, sporting a snug coat, walked through the snow and stopped in front of the Flutter.

"They found us!" Barrel exclaimed.

"We stick out like a sore thumb old man." Said Bluecher; the sarcasm dripping from his words quite noticeably. "We're parked in front of the town in a red and yellow ship…surrounded by an endless blanket of white snow."

"He has a point." Yuna nodded, the smile never leaving her lovely face. She took note of a blue and green speck on the roof of the ship and gasped in surprise. "Look, Megaman and Sera are on the roof of the Flutter."

_**-"Well, look here!"-**_ It appeared that the reporter managed to spot them as well. She directed the camera man's attention to the purifier and mother unit. _**–"There goes the young hero now!"-**_ She let out a dramatic gasp that screamed the word "FAKE" before she went on, _**-"And what is this? He is in the company of a young woman with green hair! Sources spoke of the hero being in a close relationship with a blonde young woman. Could they have possibly gone separate ways?"**_

"Agh! Lies!" Barrel rose up out of his seat and bolted to the door as fast as his worn legs could take him. "She's spreading lies!"

"Where are you going, Barrel?" Bleucher asked.

"To stop this before it goes any further!"

"Oh well…" Bleucher sighed. The door slammed as the old digger took his leave and not a second later did the phone ring.

"I'll get it." Yuna volunteered quickly as she picked up the phone. She listened to the caller over the ruckus that ensued outside the Flutter as seen on live T.V.

"Who is it?" Bleucher asked.

"The Mayor of, Kattelox." Yuna replied before going silent to listen to what the Mayor had to say. Bluecher observed as the Mother unit nodded along and answered with a few "Yeses" and "Mm-Hmms" before she hung up.

"So what did she want?"

"She wants Megaman to come visit."

* * *

_**{-Love{}Heist-}**_

_**

* * *

**_

Megaman stood at the ledge of the roof while Sera sat down with her legs dangling from the side. Since they were impervious to most weather conditions, they had no need for coats in the snow. The both of them turned their attention to the chaos that had ensued below them as Barrel argued with the reporter to send her away but they eventually lost interest in it.

"Interesting isn't it?" Sera suddenly asked Megaman.

"What is?" The purifier asked.

"Terra." Sera replied. "It's so much different from Elysium. Compared to Elysium which was supposed to be a paradise this world seems so natural in the sense. I understand why The Master would have given anything to be here now."

"Sera…"

"Yes?"

"Could we leave all of that in the past?" He asked her. "I'm having a hard enough time trying to figure out who I was before I lost my memory again."

"I understand." Sera nodded. "However, the person you were before was your false identity. Who you are right now is who you were always meant to be." Sera looked up at him with her crimson orbs and finished, "Never forget that."

"But…I can't help but be curious." A curious grin made it's way across his face. "From what I heard, I experienced so many different things and met so many unique people. Even if that person was false, he still did all he could to protect what was important to him." His grin faltered and turned in to a frown. "And ironically he ended up fighting you as well."

"So you wish to become that person again?"

"Well…technically I am that person." He corrected her. "It's just now that I know, I feel as though I've lost a part of myself." He tensed when Sera held out her hand to him. He helped her up to her feet and she patted the frost of her clothes.

"So you wish to reclaim that lost part of yourself." Sera finished for him. A ghost of a smirk appeared on her face but Megaman wasn't quick enough to catch it. "You never fail to intrigue me, Trigger. In the end I believe that it was you who instilled this insatiable desire within me."

Megaman swallowed hard when he heard her words and nervously asked, "What desire?"

"The desire to understand you," Sera's eyes narrowed at him rather playfully before she turned away to head for the hatch. She opened it and started descending the ladder but not before finishing, "And to go further beyond that." With that she closed the hatch over her head, leaving the purifier to his thoughts. His eyes lingered on the roof hatch of the Flutter as he attempted to picture Sera's expression as she left but his mind simply couldn't make it out. He sighed and turned away to lift his eyes to the cloudy sky above.

"She is a complex woman…"

"Who's a complex woman?" A feminine voice suddenly asked from behind him.

"Huh?" Megaman was startled by the unexpected response, whipping around to face Yuna. The mother unit had her hands held behind her back with a mischievous look gracing her lovely features. Her crimson eyes were entrancing and her cheerful personality couldn't help but radiate into him. "Oh, Yuna." He steadied himself.

"You're quite jumpy, Megaman." She giggled. "I'd say that was a quality from the Megaman of Terra. You still have a bit of him in you."

"Yuna…could you please address me as Trigger." He requested. "That other name sounds a little…"

"Silly?" Yuna offered him a finishing word.

"Yeah…" Megaman nodded his head. _(…Those damn translators…oh…um…anyway…)_

"But I like "Megaman" better." Yuna said childishly.

"Have it your way then…" Megaman's shoulders slumped over. "Um…Sera is behaving pretty weird, isn't she?"

"Oh, you mean the facial expressions and such?" Yuna asked, leaning toward him a bit. "Oh that is to be expected. You broke her free from her limitations when you dueled her on Elysium…or rather you made her understand that emotions were something she could grow to understand." Yuna placed a hand on his shoulder and shad him walk with her around the roof of the Flutter. "You see, Sera always had emotions, but she kept it all bottled up inside. You inspired jealousy in her and since she didn't understand the feeling she kind of saw you as a threat to her. Hence the way she treated you on your first meeting in Elysium."

"She's doing things other than that though."

"Like what?"

"Well…for one, she invited me up here with her."

"Did she?" Yuna played dumb. "And what else did she do?"

"She had a friendly conversation…_with me_."

"Is that all?" Yuna asked.

"Um…she said she had a desire to understand me and that she wanted to go beyond that." His words made Yuna quirk an eyebrow as she pulled away from him to get a good look at his face.

"Are you serious?"

"I am."

"Well then, are you dense?" She placed her hands on her hips.

"What?"

"That answered my question." She shook her head in disappointment. "Well I guess it wouldn't be a good idea to just tell you then." The Mother unit grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Besides it wouldn't be fair for her to have a head start."

"Head start on what?"

"I'll be on my way then." Yuna winked at him before she disappeared in a circle of green light.

* * *

_**[ **_Meanwhile we turn to the Bonnes…._** ]**_

_**

* * *

**_

"Dinner is ready!" Tron called out to Teisel as she walked out of the kitchen with a platter of food in her hand. She got out of the shower moments ago so her hair fell below shoulders as opposed to her usual hairstyle which resembled horns. She also had on her glasses.

"_Babuuu."_ Bon looked up from his model Gesellchaft.

"Oh, he is?" Tron narrowed her eyes in annoyance. She set the food down in the middle of the table and walked to the intercom. "Teisel!" She screamed his name into the intercom. "Wake up!"

"_**Wh-what?"**_ His startled voice came from the other side. _**"Oh, it's you. What's up?"**_

"Dinner…" Tron sighed.

"_**Ohhhh…I'll be there in a bit!"**_ There was some commotion in the background as Teisel tried his best to come as fast as he possibly could. Tron cut off the intercom before it could get any closer to pandemonium.

"_Babuuuu?"_ Bon asked his older sister.

"Oh…" She grumbled dejectedly. "So you noticed, huh?" She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose ad sighed. "I guess it's just because I know he won't be there."

"_Babuu Babu!"_

"Hmm?" Tron couldn't help but smile at her little brother's optimism. "No, lil' Bon. Megaman won't come running if I call his name. It isn't that simple." Tron's eyes lingered on the window for a moment with a glimmer of hope but she crushed it before it could get a hold of her doubt and turn it into something she would regret. "Hey, um, I'm not hungry okay so…" Tron paused to consider her next words. "T-tell Teisel that I'm gonna start drawing up the plans for tomorrow." With that she left the room to go off to her own business.

"_Babu."_

"Alright then." Tron grinned. "Thanks, Bon." She proceeded down the short hallway and made a left turn in to her room. It wasn't as big as her room in the Gesellchaft due to the smaller size of their current ship but it did well regardless. She closed the door behind her and plopped down on to her bed to lie down and look up at the ceiling.

"_Tron?"_She imagined Megaman's voice.

"Megaman." Tron said his name.

"_Tron." His voice sounded smooth and romantic the second time._

"Megaman." Tron placed a hand on her cheek and started blushing.

"_I'm here for you Tron…"_

"Oh, Megaman!" Tron placed her other hand on her other cheek and started giggling like a love struck school girl, rolling from side to side on her bed. It wasn't until she realized just what she was doing that she stopped herself and blinked a few times in embarrassment. "This sucks." She grumbled. Her eyes swiveled over to the small blue journal she plundered from Megaman's room and a devious smirk ran across her lips. She rolled to the left and reached out to snatch it from the shelf before flipping through the pages to find her favorite entries; naturally the ones about her.

"Who knew he was a poet?" Tron giggled. "That blue boy has really been holding out on me…" She frowned when her mind came to the reason why. "Oh…yeah, er, right. It's because we're always too busy fighting each other." She closed the journal and held it against her chest. "That blonde better tell me when he wakes up."

* * *

"Finally." Roll sighed as she opened the door to Megaman's room to walk out. She organized everything but sadly for her, she couldn't find anything juicy to take with her to her room. It seemed that Tron made sure not to leave anything that wasn't personal. "You can never trust those pirates for too long." The blonde engineer scowled for a moment before her eyes swiveled to the side to regard the door for the piloting chamber.

"Is somebody in there?" She mused to herself as she proceeded inside but there was no one to be found. She turned around and considered going up to the roof but she was a little hesitant. She didn't want to go up there and find Sera. That would be far too awkward for her to handle. "Er…might as well." She shrugged her shoulders and ascended it against her better judgement.

"Hello?" She called out after she opened the hatch over her head. She did a cursory of the roof and was delighted to find Megaman sitting on the ledge. _I haven't had this sort of time with him in a while._ She stared at her cold breath as it floated upwards and resisted the urge to go back in and retrieve her coat. _Besides…maybe he'll provide me with some warmth._ She inwardly blushed at the thought but she advanced anyway. "Hey, Megaman?"

"Mega…oh, right." Megaman turned his head to regard her. He still wasn't quite used to allowing himself to be called by that name but he was going to have to get used to it if he intended to retrace his lost life. "Hi Roll." He greeted her somewhat casually, eliciting a pleased response from the young woman. He shuffled a bit to the side when she took a seat beside him. "Um, isn't it a bit cold out here?"

"Yeah." Roll replied before she leaned on him. "I figured you would do." She snuggled up against him much to his growing panic. He wasn't accustomed to these sort of situations but he gradually placed his arm around her.

"I think it would be better if you get your coat, Roll." He suggested awkwardly.

"Don't worry yourself so much." She retorted. "Why were you out here anyway? "

"I was just thinking." He replied vaguely.

"About what?"

"My actions in the past and the consequences that followed." Megaman looked up toward the evening sky and used his other arm to point up at the colony. "You watch it from down here and it looks beautiful."

"It does." Roll nodded.

"But the reality is the total opposite." Megaman said. "Elysium was a false paradise and I had not realized that until a close friend opened my eyes to it all. However, regardless of all that I had discovered, I still had something on that cold world to live for."

"What was that?" Roll's voice seemed rather hesitant as if she truly didn't want to hear the answer to her own question.

"I left friends behind." He answered her. "When I left Elysium I had hope that they would be able to live on as though nothing had happened. I had hope that everything would return to normal after the incident had come to an end…but it was a foolish hope. From what I hear, when I last came to Elysium to shut down EDEN, the colony was empty."

"I'm sorry to hear that…"

"Don't be sorry, Roll." Megaman did his best to force a smile on his face. "This all happened before your life began. I don't want to burden you with my problems."

"But I don't mind listening." Roll told him.

"And I appreciate that…but please…don't mind me." Megaman requested of her. He pulled his arm away from her but she used her arm to hold on to him. "Roll?"

"Last time I left you alone you came back to me in a complete mess." Roll grinned. "I wouldn't think of letting that happen again. Whatever happens to you…" Roll placed her hand over his and gave it a light squeeze. "Know that I'm here for you." She let go of him and stood up. "How long will you be out here?"

"Not long." He answered her.

"…Ok." She nodded. "It's getting pretty late so I'm heading to bed." She turned to leave but she stopped and added, "Oh, and your room is fixed now so feel free to sleep there when you're tired, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded. Roll's eyes lingered on his solitary form for a moment and she almost felt like shedding a tear for him. Was this who he truly was before? What did this young man endure that made him this way? Where was the Megaman she remembered? Was he ever coming back to her? She pushed aside her thoughts and swallowed her sadness as she left. Maybe if she waited…just maybe, everything would eventually fall back in it's normal place.

"She's a nice girl." Megaman thought aloud.

"_**We'll always be partners…"**_

"_Nero…"_

"_**Are you up for it, Trigger?"**_

"_Iris…"_

"_**My apologies. It is not my choice to fight you."**_

"_Striker…"_

"_**Did they scold you my little friend?"**_

"_Master…"_

"_**Don't go…"**_

"_Alia…"_

Megaman bowed his head for a moment and a tear slipped down his cheek, chilled by the cold evening air. "Have I failed you all?" He clenched his fist and repeated, "Have I truly failed you all?" He stood up and recomposed himself as he took one last wistful look at the blinking colony. "I will return someday to pay my respects. I promise." He opened the hatch and descended the ladder, closing the hatch over his head. The Flutter was pretty quiet at this time and he cringed every time his footsteps reverberated with a light clank. "Hm…" He observed the doors in the hall and stopped at the door with a blue _**"M"**_ hanging on the front.

"This must be it." He said to no on in particular before he opened the door and walked in. It was pretty dark but he could make out a large rectangular object in the very corner of the room that he assumed was his bed. He sat on the edge and prepared to disengage his armor but a sudden moan caught his attention. He slowly turned his head to regard who was in his bed and was shocked to find both Yuna and Sera. Their crimson orbs twinkled in he darkness as they looked at him silently.

"Good evening." Megaman greeted them sheepishly.

"Likewise." Both of them returned the greeting at the same time.

_Silence…._

"So…uh…" Megaman scratched the back of his head as his mouth attempted to form some words to follow. "I didn't know you two were going to stay here for the night."

"There isn't any other place to sleep." Sera told him.

"Don't mind us Megaman." Yuna smiled innocently.

"Trigger…" He corrected her.

"I prefer Megaman." Yuna said, the innocent smile never leaving her face.

"As you like." Megaman hung his head in defeat.

"Will you join us then, Trigger?" Sera asked him, gesturing to the vacant spot beside her.

_More silence…_

"Ahem…" Megaman was grateful that it was dark in the room but then again with the way he was blushing he could probably substitute as a night light. "I will leave you ladies to yourself." He shuffled away and opened the door. "Good evening." With that he shut the door and both Mother unit's heard his receding footsteps.

"That was cute." Yuna grinned. "Don't you think Sera?"

"…Define cute…"

Megaman walked in to the living room and spotted the couch. Surely that would be a good place to spend the night. He plopped down on the sofa and laid back until his head was resting on one of the cushions. So this was it. He managed to get through his first day back with minor mishaps. _But what awaits me tomorrow? At some point I'm going to have to move on forward. Life never stands still._ "Huh?" It was then that he realized there was something standing on the table in front of the couch. Actually, it looked like it was having a seizure.

"What is that?" He mumbled in curiosity.

"I'm your pal, Data!" The mechanical monkey replied, continuing it's odd dance.

"…I see." He nodded his head slowly. For some reason he could vaguely remember this odd character. "Good night then…" The former commander closed his eyes.

"W-wait a second!" Data called his attention.

"Yes?" Megaman opened his eyes reluctantly.

"Don't you even have anything to ask me?" Why this monkey was so loud only served to irritate the purifier.

"Actually I do." Megaman nodded. "Would you mind ceasing that mindless dance?"

_**[ **_The Next Day….._** ]**_

"W-wait a second!" Roll held Barrel's door open before the old digger could close it again. "You received a call from whom yesterday?" She was in her pink pajamas with her night cap on, but she was wide awake.

"Amelia called yesterday." Barrel explained to his grand daughter. "It seems that she saw the news last night when they released the information about Megaman recovering from his coma." The old digger pulled up his suspenders and adjusted them before he went on, "So she wants him to come to Kattelox for a long due visit."

_You can't be serious!_ Roll inwardly grimaced. If that sort of information was on the news then Tron must have seen it! Of course, what the blonde engineer didn't know was that The Bonnes didn't really have the leisure time for T.V anymore since they were trying to gather money for the reconstruction of their beloved Gesellchaft. "S-so…are you all going?"

"Of course." Barrel nodded. "Why do you ask? Aren't you going to come?"

"…I can't." Roll replied. "I can't just leave mom here. I'd like to stay with her until she recovers." It killed her to have to choose between accompanying her amnesiac friend to the island and her mother but in the end the choice really wasn't that hard to make. She hadn't seen her mother in years and she wasn't about to just leave her behind after they had been reunited.

"So..." Barrel paused for a moment, leaving his mouth open. "Er...who's going to pilot the Flutter?"

"Grandpa, you have two mother units, Megaman and Data on the Flutter, "Roll turned around to walk away. "I'm sure you can figure out something." Barrel shrugged when the blonde engineer walked away. Lately though, she's been having a little attitude. He wondered if it possibly stemmed from Megaman's amnesia. Maybe she was still miffed that he didn't really remember her. Roll shook her head as she descended the ladder to the lower floor where the living room and kitchen was located. She pushed past the bronze colored door to enter the living room and saw Megaman and Sera being served breakfast by Yuna. Sera had on a blue shirt that was a few sizes larger than her so it substituted as a sleeping gown and Yuna had on the same. Naturally they had taken them from Megaman's dresser. The scene alone kind of bothered her for some reason. It felt as though the two mother units were slowly taking Megaman away from her.

"Good morning Roll." Megaman greeted her when he realized she was staring at them. Sera offered her a simple nod while Yuna set down Megaman's plate and asked, "Oh Roll! Would you like some breakfast as well?"

"I'm fine." Roll politely declined, turning her attention back to the purifier. "So...I hear you're going to Kattelox today." She started off as she clutched her cap with her right hand and yanked it off her head.

"That's what I heard." Megaman nodded.

"Are you excited?" Roll asked.

"Um..." It didn't sound like excitement to her. "Well, it should be interesting to visit the island that Juno was posted at." He studied the odd expression on her face and asked, "What's wrong Roll?"

"I won't be coming." Roll answered him.

"Why is that, dear?" Yuna asked.

"I want to stay with my mother." Roll answered. "I'm sure you all understand." She felt a little disappointment when they all simply nodded. What? No protests to try and convince her to come along? What about Megaman? Didn't he want her to accompany him to the island they both fought so hard to save? "So..." Roll twiddled her thumbs behind her back where nobody could see them. "All you guys have to do is find someone to pilot the Flutter."

_They all turned their attention to the shower when Bleucher walked out, combing his hair._

"Is there something on my face?" The elder man asked when he noticed everyone's attention on him. When he got no responses, he wisely made his exit.

"As I was saying." Roll cleared her throat. "You just need someone to pilot the Flutter." Roll's eyes fell upon Megaman for a moment but she inwardly shook her head. She may have given him lessons while they were on their search for the keys to Elysium, but now with his memory loss he probably couldn't remember how to work it anymore. "So, who is going to do it?"

"I will." Sera finally volunteered. "I should be able to take control by accessing the navigational functions directly."

"Well, problem solved!" Yuna grinned.

"Impressive." Megaman complimented, causing a light blush to blossom on the mother unit's cheeks.

_Well..._Roll slumped her shoulders and left the room. _I feel so obsolete..._ She looked over her shoulder to take on last look at the living room door and sighed. "Not only that, but he complimented Sera...his arch rival." She tired her best to shake any negative thoughts that wandered into her mind but the more she thought about the way Sera blushed the hader of a task it became. "Maybe I'm looking into this a little too much. Yeah, that's right...right?" She nodded her head roughly, "Right!"

* * *

**_[ Kattelox... ]_**

**_

* * *

_**

"Nice landing Sera!" Yuna cheered on her fellow mother unit when the Flutter made a safe landing near the main gate to the city. Sera simply nodded and followed Yuna outside where Megaman, Barrel, and Bleucher were waiting for them. Even from the forest, Sera could feel the sickening happiness that radiated from the island. There was no longer the foreboding feeling of the ever coming apocalypse that loomed over the island like a hanging javelin when Juno was still active. Aside from that...

"Are you remembering anything yet, Megaman?" Barrel asked the purifier.

"No." Megaman replied much to the old digger's dismay. All of them perked up when they heard some cars approaching in the distance. Almost immediately Megaman's eyes started playing tricks on him as he imagined a stout man in a brown jacket approaching them with two officers behind him. "Huh?" He blinked and all he saw was a limousine heading their way accompanied by two police vehicles.

"Ah, that must be our welcoming committee." Yuna clasped her hands together delightedly. "These people are quite friendly."

"Well, Trigger did prevent their annihilation." Sera remarked. "One would expect them to.'

"Oh, you do have a way with words." Yuna nudged her arm lightly. When the limousine stopped before them the driver exited the vehicle to open the door for Amelia. The Mayor still sported her odd hairstyle, accompanied by her trademark white jacket and skirt. At the very sight of Megaman a wide grin crossed her lips and she walked to him with open arms. The purifier, to say the least, was rather confused by her affectionate gestures.

"Um..." Megaman looked to Barrel for help.

"Just accept the hug." Barrel mumbled to him through his teeth.

"Alright." Megaman submitted and allowed her to envelop him in a hug.

"I am so glad to see that you are well, Megaman." She told him warmly. "Your release from Yosyonke Hospital was all over the news and I wanted to see how you were doing for myself!" She held him back by his shoulders to get a good look at his face and blinked. "My, why the serious expression young man? Aren't you the least bit happy to be back here?"

"Amelia." Barrel called her attention. "Um...it's a bit complicated you see? Megaman's experiencing memory loss from his recovery."

"O-oh. Forgive me." The mayor gasped with a frown. "Wow, that really is a shame because I brought a big fan of yours with me."

"A fan?" Megaman quirked an eyebrow.

"A fan?" Yuna and Sera exchanged looks.

"By the way, I'm Bleucher." Bleucher tried to call the Mayor's attention, but everyone seemed to be so consumed with curiosity about this "Fan" that they paid him no mind...poor guy.

"Megaman? Is he really out there?" They all heard an excited voice from the limo. "Ms. Amelia, c-can I come out now?"

"Of course dear." Amelia grinned, stepping away from Megaman. Not a moment later did Megaman see a blur come rushing out of the limousine before it smashed right in to him! He stumbled backwards from the unexpected impact and looked down to see a brown mop of hair nuzzling his chest feverishly.

"You remember me, don't you?" the girl asked, raising her head so he could get a good look at her face. Everyone except for Yuna and Sera held their breath as they awaited Megaman's answer but sadly enough it was, "I'm sorry...but I don't."

"H-huh?" the girl looked as though her heart had truly been ripped in two. "I'm Ira, remember? I had to use a wheel chair before, but you donated all of that money the the hosptial to have me cured!" Ira's eyes started to glimmer with tears. "You have to remember!"

"Dear." Amelia placed a hand on Ira's shoulder with a soothing voice. "Megaman had a little accident so his memory is a little scrambled."

"Really?" Ira's tears were suddenly gone as though the wind had whisked them away. "Is that all?" She asked, offering Megaman a brilliant smile that simply caught him off guard. "Well, I can help you get it back! Come with me, I'll give you a tour of the city!" With that, Ira latched on to the purifier's arm and had him take a walk with her down the road leading to the city. Amelia and the others watched their fleeting forms until they could no longer be seen.

"Well, she's quick to claim her prize." Bleucher joked with a grin. "She just took him right away!"

"Well, she's been waiting for him to come back and visit for so long." Amelia explained. "I'm sure you guys understand." She did a cursory of the crew and crossed her arms quizzically. "I see you've brought along three new visitors, but where is Roll?"

"Oh. This," Barrel gestured to his ever smirking friend, "Is my old friend, Bleucher."

"Nice to meet you." Bleucher extened a hand to her and she accepted the gesture of greeting before allowing Barrel to continue with the introductions. The old digger gestured to Yuna and Sera. "These are close friends of Megaman, Yuna and Sera."

"Salutations." Both Mother units greeted her.

"That's an interesting hair color." Amelia observed Yuna and Sera's features closely. "Your eyes are a pretty exotic color to come across as well. Are they natural?" She inquired.

"That they are." Yuna replied.

"Both of you are quite beautiful."

"Why thank you!" Yuna smiled before giving a discreet nudge to Sera for the quite mistress to respond the Amelia's compliment.

"...Thank you." Sera finally responded, stealing a glance in the direction that Ira took Megaman. She didn't understand why but the feeling that had plagued her long ago on Elysium was beginning to plague her once more. Was this...jealousy?

* * *

_**[ **_Turning to another familiar visitor of Kattelox..._** ]**_

_**

* * *

**_

_Heh, not much has changed about this island. You'd figure that with all the commotion we caused here before we left, they'd prepare for another similar incident. _Tron thought to herself as she walked through the streets of the city. Naturally since everyone could easily tell her from a crowd with her usual hairstyle and clothes, she had to find an alternative look. She decided to take on the look of an artist. She had the glasses, black long jacket and casual clothes to look convincing enough. The fact that she had allowed her hair to fall down was another dramatic change from her usual appearance. _Let's see..._ Her eyes darted around to make some observations of the city. She entered the main square where the City Hall was located. This was the place where they staged their main attack the last time thay had been on Kattelox. _But of course...Megaman managed to stop us. Oh, those were some exciting days._

"It really bothers me though." Tron muttered, crossing her arms. "Why isn't there anybody around here?" She looked around to see nobody walking the sidewalks. There wasn't even a cop in sight to guard the main building. Were they expecting something already? "Are they plotting a trap?" Tron thought aloud in suspicion. She dug into the inside pocket of her long jacket to pull out her communicator. "Hey Teisel?"

**_"Yeah Tron?" _**Came Teisel's voice.

"There's something fi-"

_Tron heard some commotion coming from the southern district of the city..._

"What was that?" Tron lowered the communicator from her mouth and concentrated to see what was up. "They sure sound excited for some reason."

**_"Tron? Hey Tron!"_**

Tron raised the receiver to her mouth when he heard her brother calling and said, "Just give me a moment Teisel. I'm going to check something out." She stuffed it back in to the inside pocket of her jacket and rushed to the gate leading to the other district. Her curiosity was beginning to get the best of her. When she got to the other side she saw an enormous crowd blocking her view of the other gate leading to the shopping center. She saw some a group of teenagers rushing out of the residential building in fron of her and called out, "HEY!"

"Um, what?" One of the girls asked.

"What's all this commotion about?"

"Are you dense?" The girl asked, placing a hand on her hip. Her rude response caused a vein to bulge out from Tron's forehead, but she wouldn't lunge at the girl...yet.

"Just tell me already!" Tron demanded.

"Alright, alright...just calm down." The girl raised her hands to stop the lovely pirate from pouncing on her. "The word is, Megaman is back to visit Kattelox. Anyway, I'm going to see him!" The girl exclaimed. She turned and made tracks while Tron simply stood there with a blank look on her face. This feeling was coming back to her again. Her heart began to beat at a pace that made her feel faint and her legs were beginning to feel a bit like jelly. _Me-Megama-b-but nobody told me he was already awake! Not only that but...he's here!_ Tron's hands began to tremble and the girl walked over to a lamp pole to lean on it in fear that her legs would give out beneath her at any moment.

"He's alright! Megaman is back!" Tron smiled and before she even realized it, her legs were taking her to the center of the crowd. People all shot annoyed glares at her as she pushed past them without a care of how they felt about it. She pushed through man, woman and child; she just didn't care as long as she was able to see Megaman in all of his splendor. When she got to the very front her eyes lit up with life at the very sight of him. There he stood with his unruly brown hair and his recognizable blue battle armor. His green eyes feel upon her for a fleeting moment as he looked around at the crowd and her heart skipped a beat. What made Tron even more delighted was the fact that Roll was nowhere to be seen beside him.

_Megaman! I'm so near you and you don't even realize it! _Tron's smile twisted into a mischievous grin. _Oh, just wait till I get you alone to myself. We have some business to discuss! You owe me a lot and I'm going to make sure you compensate in ways that'll do me wonders._ Tron's hands twitched in anticipation. _You're going to join the crew this time. You'll have no choice after all I've done for you!_

_

* * *

_

_**To Be Continued...**_

* * *

**_Next Chapter: Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc_**

**_Episode Seven: The Proposition_**

_Kattelox is overwhelmed with excitement now that Megaman is back and Tron is even more excited to see the young hero with the plans she has in store for him. With Roll nowhere to keep him away from the lovely pirate she might just be able to bring him over to her side and Sera and Yuna seem to be developing bigger interests for the former commander as well. Will Trigger resist Tron's advances or will she be able work her charms on his amnesiac mind? More importantly, will the sleeping arrangements on the Flutter ever be fixed? Why is Bleucher still hanging around, and how will Roll react when she finds out the Megaman just might be going on a little trip to the wild side?_

_Well...hopefully I get that next chapter out soon..._


	7. Another fateful Meeting

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Megaman…however….nope, nevermind….

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist _**

**_Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc_**

_By Traingham

* * *

_

**_Episode Seven: The Proposition_**_**

* * *

**_

There was something to be said of persistence. In some individuals one would find "persistence" rather admirable while in others it could simply be down right annoying. Now, in the case of Tron Bonne it could possibly go both ways depending on how others viewed her. She was a young woman who refused to fall and that was quite evident every time one of her beloved invention were blown sky most sensible people would immediately sense that something just wasn't working out for them after experiencing defeat at the hands of a sole individual several times, Tron was not one to admit defeat regardless. She was also a woman who would not take no for an answer unless she was forced to accept it, and even then she would eventually return to get her way. Again, persistence could be admirable or annoying...sometimes even questionable...

Tron Bonne, engineering prodigy of the Bonne pirates, could only grin as she beheld Megaman with her emerald green orbs. There he stood donning his famous blue armor, completely oblivious to the world around him, and ripe for the taking. There was no sign of a certain blonde to get in the way of Tron's desires and the atmosphere of the scene was pretty calm, which was unusual because it went without saying that Megaman and Tron being within the vicinity of each other practically screamed chaos, but this time Tron wanted to go about the present situation in another fashion. It may have taken her some time to realize it, but asking a person to join your side while you were both in the middle of a confrontation wasn't exactly the wisest way of going about things. It didn't matter how many times you asked a person or threatened their well being; expecting them to suddenly be your friend was simply out of the question. Asking them after making it clear that your intentions were for no good was also a bad approach.

"Alright, alright..." Tron muttered to herself as she opened and closed both of her hands out of nervous habit. As much as she didn't want to admit it, even though she was overwhelmed with excitement at the sight of her blue rival she also had a sense of awkwardness plaguing her. At the same time she was also feeling just a tad bit of anger and frustration. For Megaman to suddenly appear in Kattelox when he was still supposedly in a coma (_He should have been! Roll didn't exactly drop her a line to inform her of his recovery!)_ wasn't exactly something Tron could quickly adjust to. She was in the middle of a planned heist for crying out loud! This seriously threw a wrench in the meshing gears of her plans and she never took that too well. How was she supposed to explain her presence on Kattelox or her odd state of dress. She could just imagine it now; Megaman jumping to a bad conclusion as soon as he got sight of her...although he wouldn't be very far off anyway. If that happened then her chances of bringing him over would have already hit a point of no return.

_Wait, but if I just walk up to him in my normal clothes then everybody will rush me on sight! Damn! Why do these sort of things always have to be so confusing? _Tron ignored the little voice in the back of her head that reminded her of the complications that came along with her pirate status. "Well, I still have the whole case regarding his payment for my services in bringing him back. He can't just brush me aside after hearing that...unless Roll already fed him false information..."

...

_"Is that right Roll?" Tron imagined Megaman leaning forward in his hospital bed after hearing Roll explain everything that led up to the successful rescue mission. She imagined the charming smile on his face as well as the grin on the blonde weasel's lips as she awaited the blue hero's reaction. "You risked your life "alone" to bring me back?" Megaman went on, sounding rather touched by her words._

_"That's right, Megaman." Roll nodded triumphantly. "I just couldn't allow us to be torn apart from each other forever."_

_"Roll..." Megaman spoke her name softly, looking into her eyes romantically._

_"Megaman..." Roll leaned towards him._

_Tron stopped her vision from going any further before it reached an unfavorable high point... _

_...  
_

"If I find out that's what happened then I'll kill her for sure!" Tron snarled with a fearsome expression gracing her lovely features. She calmed herself after watching Ira start pulling the blue bomber away from the crowd that followed along and did the same, blending in with the other citizens as she formulated a way to approach him. She didn't want to ruin her chances by rushing head on into the situation. It was at that point that Teisel decided to suddenly contact her.

**_"Tron?" _**His voice came loudly from her walkie talkie, causing some of the people in front of her to look back. She smiled at them sheepishly, slowing her pace and unclipped the communicator from her belt before holding it up to her mouth, saying, "Teisel, I'm kinda busy right now. Can you contact me later?"

**_"What do ya mean, contact you later? How is the operation going so far? _**

"Oh, fine, just fine." Tron answered casually as though Megaman had not been present on the island at all. "Um...I might take a while though." She tried to buy herself some more time so her brother wouldn't get suspicious of anything. "IT looks like they made a few changes down here since we last came."

**_"Oh, that would be expected! You can never be too prepared for the Bonnes!" _**What followed after his words was the usual maniacal laugh that other knew him by. Tron played with her nails as she waited for her brother to regain his composure and took the time to get in a few words before Teisel would talk again.

"Hey, um, bro?" Tron started off hesitantly.

**_"Yeah?"_**

"How about we hold off this operation until later?" At Tron's request the older Bonne went dead silent for a moment.

**_"...Er, why?"_**

"Well, you know...I'd like to enjoy myself here a bit before we have to high tail it again." When her brother didn't seem to protest she went on, "It's been nothing but hell for me since we brought Megaman back. I'd like to try and take my mind off him before I start getting wrinkles." She nearly chuckled at the irony of her words but she managed to stifle them.

**_"Well...alright!"_** Teisel submitted to her wishes. **_"We haven't taken a good vacation in a while! I suppose we can hold off the operation."_**

"Thanks!" Tron said with a grin.

**_"Anytime sis! I'm signing off."_**

"Alright."

_Click..._

**_[ Turning our attention to the others... ]  
_**

Yuna followed Barrel and the others through the woods with her hands clasped behind her back, her usual little grin gracing her lips while Sera walked beside her with her ever present dispassionate expression that spoke nothing of the emotions that were swirling through her complex mind, however, her fellow mother unit could sense it. Ever since the blue hero was snatched away from Ira, Sera had been rather irritated. She just couldn't understand why Barrel would allow an amnesiac purifier commander like Trigger be taken away by a little girl. Not only was it irresponsible but is was just...just...alright, so she couldn't find another reason, but that did not change the fact that it was wrong. Besides, she was Trigger's guardian. He should not have gone anywhere unless she was the person accompanying him.

"What seems to be bothering you, Sera?" Yuna asked with an almost cat-like grin. She really took a guilty pleasure in bothering Sera whenever she was having an emotional crisis. In a way she might have been responsible for Sera's behavior whenever she crossed paths with Trigger on Elysium in the past. She just couldn't help herself. Sera was always like a stubborn child when it came to such matters and even with all the time that had passed she still had not changed too much. "You seem like life has been picking on you."

"Whatever do you mean?" Sera played coy, never turning her head to regard Yuna. Even though her expression was anything, but emotional she already knew that Yuna could see right through her and quite frankly she found it very annoying. _Annoyance...yes, that is what I feel whenever Yuna starts to pester me. Why is she so nosy?_

"Oh, I'm sure you know what I mean." Yuna giggled mischievously. Once she realized that Sera wasn't going to face her, Yuna dropped the grin on her face and went completely emotionless to mimic her fellow unit. Sera started to feel a bit of tension hang in the air when she did this and stole a glance at her before asking, "What are you doing?"

"Me?" Yuna's voice lost it's usual cheerful quality. "Nothing."

"...Very well." Sera nodded, ignoring Yuna's little game.

"Just thinking..." Yuna said.

_Sera stayed silent..._

"...Thinking about my feelings."

_A bead of sweat started forming on the side of Sera's forehead..._

"I wonder what Trigger is doing." Yuna went on, purposely using Megaman's real name in order to sound like Sera. "A person in his condition shouldn't be wandering around with a little girl."

"...Yuna..."

"For him to go anywhere without my supervision is very ill advised."

"I get i-"

"I'm feeling quite irritated. Maybe a bit jealous." Yuna cut Sera off before she could say another word. Shortly after she was done with her little act the grin on her face returned and she turned to regard Sera. "What do you think?" The grin on her face was beginning to annoy her fellow mother unit. "Did I hit it on the head?"

"I..." Sera paused for a moment to find her voice. "Don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on!" Yuna broke out into a smile. "Even after your little talk on the roof with him you're still going to act like this?"

"What?" Sera almost tripped on a branch that was on the ground. She was caught off guard by Yuna's words. How did she know about her talk with Megaman on the roof of the flutter? She thought she was still in the living room with Bleucher at the time of their little conversation. "How would you even know about that?" Sera narrowed her eyes imperceptibly at Yuna before asking, "Were you listening in on us?" Her voice took on a hint of irritation not unlike a girl would react when she found someone reading the entries of her diary.

"Ohhhh, I wouldn't say that." Yuna said as she looked the other way.

"Did Trigger say anything?" Sera sounded as though she would have some sort of punishment in store for the former commander if that was the case.

"Of course not." Yuna lied for his sake. "I just thought it rather odd for you to suddenly disappear, and since Megaman's room was off limits at the time there was nowhere for him to hide." Yuna took pleasure in watching a light blush blossom on Sera's face at her choice of words. "Need I say more?"

"I would appreciate it if you kept to your own business." Sera retorted.

"Oh really?" Yuna raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. What I do with Trigger is my business alone." Sera almost seemed to turn up her nose.

"I understand." Yuna nodded at her reason. "I guess that would be fair game since you don't know much about our business with each other." Her subtle message got Sera's attention.

"Business?" Sera questioned dispassionately even though Yuna could tell that she hit a spot.

"Well of course!" Yuna said casually. "Megaman and I talked a lot in the past; back when we were all at Elysium, back when you were making trouble and even recently when he got back from his coma. I enjoy my talks with him." Yuna leaned over to Sera slightly and added, "He's really fun to tease."

"...Is he now?" Sera's voice took on a rather dark tone.

"Yep." Yuna nodded. Bleucher, whom had been listening in on both mother unit's conversation since the very beginning chuckled at the reactions that Yuna was getting from Sera and chimed in, "You girls play nice, huh?" When he looked back at them his blood almost ran cold at Sera's cold expression.

"What are you getting at, Mr. Bleucher?" Sera asked.

"N-nothing at all!" The man wisely turned away and went on with his own business.

"Ah, Bleucher when will you learn?" Barrel chuckled to his self. "Those girls aren't exactly the type to poke fun at, you know?" The old digger grinned at his friend through his beard.

"At least not the short one anyway..." Bleucher muttered.

* * *

**_[ Back to Tron's situation... ]  
_**

**_-

* * *

_**

So far Ira's tour of the island to Megaman had gone from the southern gate to the western gate already and the cult of fans that followed them around had still been accumulating. Tron had not even known that there were that many people living on the island although that wasn't really the main thing plaguing her at the moment. What was really bothering her was her inability to just walk up and speak to the blue bomber. This game of stalking was slowly beginning to make her feel just a tad bit dirty and the fact that she had yet to work up the nerve to confront him was hurting her pride. In the past it had not been so hard for her to just walk up to him and give him a good scolding...of course that was before she really started to give into her feelings for him. Right now she was starting to feel queasy and the quivering in her legs weren't helping much either.

"If I keep on putting this off then who knows what might happen." Tron mumbled to herself as she followed Megaman and Ira within the crowd closely. Her eyes darted from side to side looking at the other people around her, and she heaved a sigh. These guys were really starting to annoy her. Didn't they have other things to do at the moment like work or something? They sure didn't seem too interested in him when he was running around trying to save the island. Hell, tunnel passages opened up all over the island when Megaman went to retrieve the keys and all the citizens did was walk around obliviously as though the giant domes had been around the entire time. The only time they really seemed to catch on about the islands impending doom was when the carbon initialization had begun. _(Who could miss that giant hovering satellite?)_

"Arrgh." Tron combed her hands through her hair violently, inwardly cursing the grunt she used since it made her sound like the stereotypical pirate. "Screw these guys! I'm going to do it!" With that, Tron pushed through the crowd of people with complete disregard for their feelings. Megaman turned back his head when he heard all the commotion behind him and Ira gripped his hand to regain his attention, asking, "What's the matter Megaman?" The fact that she used _"that" _name again really irked the former commander so much that he lost interest in Tron's mischief making.

"Please..." He seemed to be pleading now. "Call me Trigger."

"I like Megaman better!" Ira said cheerfully much to his dismay. Megaman simply stared at her for a moment before bowing his head and grumbling, "Call me what you will..." He walked on being led by the girl until Tron finally accomplished what she was trying to do, bursting forth from the mass of people, panting.

"Megaman!" She called out his name.

_At her voice Megaman shivered..._

_What...is this sense of ominous foreboding that I feel? _Megaman inwardly thought, instinctively doing his best to ignore the voice that called out to him. Something in the back of his mind was telling him that it was just safer to keep on walking. It seemed that even though his memory was completely wiped out his survival instincts were still very much intact.

"Um, I think somebody is calling you." Ira informed Megaman much to his dread. As much as he wanted to tell her that he was purposely ignoring said voice, the fact that she had brought it up to his attention made all that much harder to do. They both turned around to see Tron approaching them quickly, the complaints of those she pushed past coming from behind her in loud murmurs. "Do you know her personally?" Ira asked Megaman, her hopes being on a negative. Though the girl had not shown it yet she was possessive over her hero. Every time she heard the nurses talk about him she used to get very paranoid about one of the white clad vixens getting their hands on him before she did.

"...I don't think so." Megaman replied. He was still suffering from amnesia after all. What kind of answer could anybody honestly expect from him? He did have to admit, however, that her voice did sound vaguely familiar in a danger inducing way. It seemed to be the total opposite of the response his senses had whenever he heard Roll Caskett speak to him. He was calmed by the sound of the blonde engineer's voice.

"Are you going to speak to her?" Ira asked, brushing her brown hair away from the front of her face. She looked up to Megaman, waiting for an answer and inwardly deflated when he answered, "Well, I guess I should." His eyes wandered over the faces of the annoyed crowd. Surely this girl must have had something urgent to tell him in order for her to push past all the nice people. They were all so happy until she made her sudden appearance.

"Megaman!" Tron called his name another time when she finally got to the both of them. Ira clutched the blue bomber's hand a little tighter in Tron's presence almost protectively as though the very sight of the female pirate spelled out danger, which wasn't too far from the truth if one thought about it. "You dumb jerk!" Tron scowled at Megaman much to his growing confusion. He couldn't recall anything he did in the past that would earn him this sort of greeting from anyone.

"What seems to be the matter?" At his innocent question Tron went dead silent. Her hair almost seemed to be rising into the horns she was so well known by and her hands clenched into tight fists that sent the former commander on alert. Was she about to hit him? "Did...I say something wrong?" He knew from past experiences that he didn't do too well when it came to the minds of woman. He was oblivious to Alia's feelings, he practically sent Roll off in tears the first time he met her in the infirmary, and to this very moment he still didn't quite understand what Sera meant by her words to him up top the flutter. _Oh, and let me not forget about Mistress Yuna's odd friendliness around me. _ Megaman inwardly recalled before turning his attention back to the ever present Tron. She didn't look like she was about to go anywhere...oh woe was him.

"Did you just ask me...what was the matter?" Tron's eyes were alight with frightening flames as she practically lunged at him causing Ira to flinch and let go of the blue bomber's hand. Megaman, however, stood his ground, raising an eyebrow at the young woman's behavior.

"Yes, I did." Megaman answered her rhetorical question which did nothing but make things worse than it already was.

"You fall into a coma, almost giving me a frickin' heart attack in the process, and all you can ask is _'What seems to be the matter'_?" Megaman leaned his head away when Tron almost made their noses touch at their close proximity. "Not only that but you don't even have the decency to report the new of your recovery to me when that conniving, dumb blonde tries to leave me in the dark about it!"

"Dumb blonde?" A quizzical expression washed across the purifier's face.

**_...  
_**

Roll walked into Matilda's hospital room with a soup bowl held carefully with both hands. She changed out of her red engineering suit and into some casual clothes to have herself look a little presentable around her mother. She didn't want to walk around in a worn out, dirty suit. Also since she didn't have her red hat on her long blonde hair was feathered around her face. Some of the assistant male nurses couldn't help but do a double take whenever she walked by the room causing some minor problems for the patients they were tending to.

"I brought you some soup mom." Roll said with a smile as she took her seat on the chair she positioned beside the bed. Matilda said nothing in reply but merely nodded since her voice still had not completely recovered, which served to irritate the older Caskett since she found it very hard to express herself whenever someone wasn't around to see her frantic gestures. She was relieved when her daughter decided to show up because she was starving. She watched Roll dip the soup spoon in the soup and carefully lift it out with noodles and chunks of meat within the steaming broth. Matilda suddenly couldn't control her salivary glands. She could tell this was going to be goo-

_**ACHOO!**_

Unfortunately such wonderful things weren't meant to last as Matilda found the contents of the spoon on her face. The only thing that kept her from yelping out loud when the hot contents smacked her face was pure will power.

"AH! M-mom!" Roll set down the bowl on the table quickly and snatched up a paper towel. "I'msosorrysosorrysosorry!" Roll cried out so fast that her words could barely be made out.

_SOMEBODY MUST BE TALKING ABOUT ME!_

_...  
_

"Roll, you dummy!_" _Tron was bordering on hysterical at this point. Now she knew he was messing around with her when he didn't even know who she was talking about. "Would you please just stop messing around? Look, I don't care about that stuff anymore..." Tron calmed herself and took a deep breath before going on as she let go of Megaman. "I'm just relieved to see you well, alright, but where the hell are your manners, huh?" Just when the former commander thought she settled down, she started on another attack.

"Um..." Ira held out a pleading hand to get Tron's attention but she payed no mind to the girl.

"How could you just treat me like a stranger, huh?" Tron narrowed her eyes at him viciously as though she would pounce on him at any moment.

_I wish Sera was around right now..._ Trigger surprised even his self with that passing thought, but for once the mother unit's calm presence would have been a welcoming addition to this 'out of control ' meeting. "Excuse me." Megaman silenced Tron when he gripped her shoulders gently. At the point most of the crowd that had been following them scurried away thinking that this was a personal meeting they didn't want to listen in on... that and they were afraid that Tron might turn on them.

"Wha-what?" Tron always lost her breath whenever he touched her but his next question would kill her moment.

"Could you please tell me your full name?" Megaman's eyes widened slightly when a vein bulged on the lovely pirate's forehead.

"Again with this?"

"HEY!" Ira's cry made both older teens jump. She swiveled her eyes over to Tron and the pirate was caught off guard by the intensity held within them. "Look here, Megaman has lost him memory so stop being so rough with him! I'm trying to help him get it back!"

"He lost his what?" Tron's anger fizzled out like a dying candle.

"His memory!" Ira repeated herself.

Tron turned to face Megaman quickly, asking, "Is this true?" In the back of her mind she really didn't want to know the answer.

"So...I've been told." Megaman scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I've met with plenty of others who say they know me." He placed a hand on his forehead. "There's people all around this island who say I'm some kind of hero but I've never even been on this island before..."He bowed his head slightly, going on, "Or at least I don't think I have. Everyone else says otherwise." He gestured to Ira. "Especially her."

"That's right!" Ira said proudly. "He's my hero!"

"So you seriously...don't remember me?"

"No." Megaman said almost sadly.

"I...uh...see." Tron's eyes took on a distant look. Her legs suddenly very unfamiliar to her almost as though she was a newborn. "E-excuse me." She turned away from him clumsily and began walking away looking kind of dead, and something did die indeed. When she was at the gate entrance for central city she felt herself fall against it for a moment. _No,no...I can't allow myself to be beaten by this. I just can't..._ She left without looking back.

* * *

"And we're finally back at the main city!" Amelia announced cheerfully.

"Finally..." Bleucher muttered under his breath. "I'm not concerned about some dead reaverbots." The man was referring to the sight Amelia had shown them near one of the sub ruins. A group of gathering reaverbots had mysteriously shut down. There were no signs of a struggle. They seemed to have just went completely dead on their own. While Barrel, Amelia, and Bleucher had no explanation for it, Sera and Yuna had an idea of what may have been the cause. Most of their deductions lead up to the shut down of EDEN and the reroute of control to the Elder system. There was a force at work here and something told them that it wasn't going to simply bend to their will. Only time would really tell.

"It looks like a nice place doesn't it?" Yuna asked Sera as they followed into the market behind Amelia and the others. The people who saw both mother units walk by could only stare in wonder at their odd appearances and their commanding presence. This, however, only served to bother Sera who wasn't one to appreciate lingering gazes.

"I feel nothing for it." Sera replied coldly.

"Oh, would you stop being that way?" Yuna grumbled. "These look like nice people. I think it's fitting that Megaman started his way back to us from this island." The gentle mother unit nodded to herself as though she was agreeing with her own reasoning. "I'm sure he had many fond memories here."

"Memories that are now lost and forgotten."

"Gawd you're so dark."

"I only state what is truth."

"Or what you favor." Yuna quipped. Her retort caught Sera off guard.

"What do you mean?" Sera finally turned her head to regard her fellow unit. It turned out though that Yuna wasn't about to offer her an answer to her question. She simply hated it when she didn't get an answer to her question. "Yuna-"

"You're very capable of finding things out for yourself Sera." Yuna sent her a glare as cold as liquid nitrogen before reverting to her cheerful self. "Now then, I wonder where that little girl may have taken Megaman. She looked awfully excited to see him and I wouldn't be surprised if she plans on taking him for herself."

"Coming through." A voice followed by a body brushed past Yuna. The mistress looked over her shoulder to see Tron's fleeting form. The mother unit cocked her head to the side questioningly for a moment trying to place the voice but Sera's words for her to not fall behind brought her attention away from it. She walked on, leaving the market with the others but she was sure that she heard that voice before. The owner of the voice sounded very distressed in fact. She wondered what caused her to be in such a state.

Megaman was relieved that the tour of te island was finally nearing it's end. He was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable with all of the questions people were asking him mainly because he couldn't find an answer to all of them. Questions like, _"Where did you go after Kattelox"_, or, _"How are things going with Ms. Caskett?"_ set in a deep feeling of frustration within him. His conversation with Tron earlier only served to fuel the fire that was burning deep within him. How was it that all of these memories could be taken away from him so easily? Why was he bringing so many tears to people because of this damned inconvenience? Dread was starting to consume him as he looked to the girl holding his hand. She seemed to be the only one so far who wasn't deeply affected by this but that was most likely due to her childish hopes of him regaining his memory through a simple tour. He didn't want to see her go out in tears as well. For some reason he knew that if he saw her break down he would be destroyed himself.

"So are you regaining some of your lost memory?" Ira asked hopefully.

"...It's coming to me." Megaman lied.

"That's great to hear!"

"I'm glad to hear that." Megaman nodded to her. He did his best to offer her a smile but the fact that he just lied to the girl made it very hard to do. His passing moment of distress went away when a familiar voice ran out to both of them.

"There goes you two!" Amelia called out to them, waving one hand to get their attention. "We've been looking all round you know?"

"Have you?" Ira asked with a mischievous grin. "We were just about to go to the hospital. The nurses over there wants to see Megaman."

"That'll have to wait, sweety." Amelia cut the girl's idea short much to her disappointment. "Right now I'm sure that Megaman is a little hungry."

"Are you?" Ira asked her companion. She missed Amelia's silent gestures for him to say yes, nodding her own head so Megaman would mimic and do the same. Ira was further disappointed by the turn of events to say that least but she allowed her little tour to end on one condition. "Well, can I come with you guys? I wanna sit next to Megaman when we eat."

"Sure." Amelia nodded.

* * *

Roll left Matilda's hospital room and headed over to the elevator at the end of he hall. She wanted to contact her grandfather to see how Megaman was fairing over at Kattelox without her but the use of any electronic devices like cell phones were prohibited in the hospital so as much as it killed her to do it she was going to have to part with her mother for a moment outside. When the elevator finally arrived on her floor she entered it and pressed the button to descend to the main lobby. There was something about being apart form Megaman right now that really bothered her. Ever since Megaman got back from Elysium she kept of berating herself for allowing him to go on alone without her. Well, technically Yuna accompanied her but she didn't really see her as somebody the the blue bomber could keep around as a partner. Whether that opinion stemmed from suspicion that the gentle mother unit had something of interest for the young hero or not was something the blonde engineer would ever admit to.

"Come on." Roll tapped her bicep as she waited impatiently for the elevator door to open. When it finally did she walked out quickly and left the hospital through the front door before pulling out her cell phone and pressing Barrel's speed dial number. She tapped her bicep quicker as she held the cell phone to her ear. "Come on, come on, come on." She whispered impatiently.

_"Hello?"_ Barrel's voice came on the other end.

"Grandpa!" Roll said excitedly. "How are you guys doing down there?"

_"Fine...I guess." _The old digger replied uneasily.

"What do you mean?" Roll inquired.

_"Well, Megaman hasn't exactly been showing any promising signs."_

"He hasn't?" Roll's voice hit rock bottom.

_"I'm afraid not."_

"That's bad news."

_"And Matilda?"_ Barrel asked. His question managed to lighten the girl's mood somewhat.

"She's doing very well." Roll answered him. "I'm sure that with a few more days she'll be talking to us again."

_"That's wonderful news!"_

"So what are you guys doing over there?" She asked with a hint of boredom in her voice.

_"We're actually about to eat."_

"Really?" Roll started to feel her stomach give her gentle hints of hunger when she heard his words. She'd been focusing on her mother so much that she didn't really think of taking care of herself. "Right now that sounds like a good idea. "What has Megaman been doing anyway? Have those mother units been bothering him?"

_"Actually, do you remember that girl he paid for to get treated?"_

"You mean Ira?" Roll blinked a few times.

_"Yeah! She's all over him!"_

"Oh really?"

"Yep." Barrel nodded, looking over his shoulder for a moment to see Megaman doing his best to keep Ira at a distance. The girl was squeezing him around his mid-section from her chair while Yuna and Sera watched on without a word. Bleucher sat in his seat with his hands folded upon the table patiently and Amelia was running around getting the chefs alert for the dishes and other things. The butlers and maids placed the settings upon the long table for everyone to eat. "There's not really much else to note here other than that."

_"Nothing?"_

"No."

_"Not even any pirates?" _The suspicion in Roll's voice was enough for the retired digger to know who she was referring to.

"No."

_"Alright then. I'll talk to you later."_

Barrel heard her hang up the phone and chuckled. "She's really something whenever she's jealous." He knew exactly who she was referring to when she brought up the idea of any pirates being around. The retired digger scratched his beard for a moment as he thought over his grand daughter's last words. Now that she mentioned it, where were those Bonnes? Wasn't Roll supposed to inform them of Megaman's recovery? Surely that _"Tron"_ girl must still be worried sick. Last time he'd seen the pink clad pirate she almost shook the blue hero free of his medical respirators. "It really is a shame. Who knows how she'll react when she finds out about Megaman's memory loss."

Barrel looked over his shoulder again to see Ira hanging from the former commander's shoulder. At this point Megaman had stopped trying to resist the girl and simply sat still, blinking whenever his biggest fan pecked him on the cheek. "That definitely isn't the boy I knew before. He would at least be returning the hug to that girl." He looked to Sera for a moment and almost shivered involuntarily. "Although I can't say that she's much of the same either. Whatever happened up there in space...it really did something..."

_**[ **_**_Setting our sights upon a certain pirate..._**_** ]**  
_

Ah yes, life had taken quite the turn for one Tron Bonne. She would have never predicted this happening, however, while some may believe that she went somewhere to cry in the corner and drain out her level of water content, that isn't what happened at all. Well, she did do some of that but for a mind so devious and cunning other ideas were sure to come and put a smirk upon her face. The reason for that is because she saw an open opportunity for herself within the lost eyes of her crush. While he may have no memory of her, he still seemed to be quite unsure of his self to the point that he actually allowed others to fill in the blanks for him. The fact that he came to visit Kattelox under the suggestion that he had been a hero to the island at some point was proof of this.

"Well then..." Tron said to herself as she approached the gate to the market place. She tucked her glasses into the inside pocket of her long jacket, her eyes still slightly puffy from her crying session moments ago. She regained her composure, however, and the look of eagerness on her face poke nothing of the sadness that had overcome her when the blue bomber last spoke to her. She had an idea cooking up in her mind and she was sure that it would ensure Megaman's alliance with her. "Where is that guy anyway?" The people around the city were calm again so Megaman obviously had reached the end of his little tour with that girl.

"Hey!" Tron called to a group of kids that were kicking a can to each other in an attempt to keep it from touching the floor. They were so caught up in their game that they paid no attention to the pirate. This of course forced Tron to turn to other methods. She marched up to the tallest kid and grabbed him by the shoulders roughly before turning his entire body to face her.

"Hey! What're ya doing lady-"

"Listen to me!" Tron's eyes bore into his fearsomely.

"Okay." He squeaked back.

"Megaman, do you know where he's at?" Tron asked, smiling in satisfaction when the boy nodded vigorously. "Well, where is he?"

"He's at the Mayor's house!"

"Is that so?"

"Yep!"

"Good boy." She let go of him much to his disappointment since he found her quiet pretty but enough of that. Let the man hunting continue! Tron continued her search for the commander, careful not to allow any of the authorities to get a good look at her face since there were still posters posted on the walls of the stations with her mug shot on she been arrested before? Yes she had, but it only lasted about five minutes at which point, Bon crashed through the wall of the cell and released her before the cops very eyes. Once she reached the residential district where the Mayor's house resided her eyes fell upon the oh-so-familiar building that her and her brothers almost managed to destroy if it wasn't for Megaman's intervention. Now that she found the place where Megaman was staying at she needed to find a way inside that wouldn't cause too much commotion.

Tron tapped her chin and smiled. "I've got it!"

* * *

"Hello?" One of the maids of the residence greeted Tron once she opened the door.

"Oh, hello." Tron greeted her politely. "I'm here to see Megaman." She kept herself from scowling when the maid regarded her with a skeptical look.

"Does he kno-"

"Of course he knows me woman!" Tron cut her off quickly. "I'm one of his closest friends! Now can you please stop stalling me?"

"...One moment please." The maid told her with a grin that turned into a scowl when she turned away. This was the fifth time that some girl showed up at the residence to see the hero only to turn out to be a stranger and it was starting to tick her off! How many times was she going to have to do this today? Besides...she was planning on getting to know him later. "Um, Megaman?" The maid entered the dining hall again to get him.

"Yes?" Megaman turned to regard her.

"It's another visitor for you." She answered with a frown.

"I see." Megaman hung his head for a moment before dragging himself away from the plate and out of his seat. He did his best to avoid Sera's intense gaze and ignore Barrel and Bleucher's calls for him to "_Go get'er" _as he followed the maid to the door. "Excuse me," He started off, not bothering to look at the person at the door, "But I've already been through..." His eyes widened slightly when he finally saw Tron looking back at him expectantly. "I-it's you again." He gasped much to Tron's displeasure.

"Yeah, it's me." She echoed him, placing her hands on her hips. "Now are you gonna let me in or not?"

"Er..." Megaman felt very confused right now but something was telling him that if he turned her away that he would be letting go of something very important to his memory loss. Then there was the fact that he had still not gotten her full name and that was something that had been lingering in his mind like an itching irritation since they had last met. "Let her in please." He told the maid. She nodded, a little disappointed that he had accepted the young pirate and opened the door almost mechanically. She didn't know why but there was something about Tron that didn't quite sit well with her. Was it the voice? She wasn't sure but the feeling was there regardless.

"Thank you." Tron nodded to him with a grin. "Now I'd like to talk with you privately."

"Why?" Megaman raised an eyebrow.

"Because we have business to discuss."

"What kind of business?"

"Would you quit being stubborn and just come along already?" Tron grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled expecting for him to follow along but he stood his ground causing her to fall back into him. "What's wrong with you?" She hissed at him in annoyance, quickly jumping away from him.

"I don't even know you." Megaman sent a lance through her heart yet again.

"...I swear..." Tron let go of him and bowed her head ominously with a low growl. "If I hear you say that again," She looked up to him with a furious expression before she went on, "I won't be responsible for my actions!" He was caught off guard by her sudden rage, giving her enough time to grab on to his arm and pull him into the living room with her. Megaman almost tripped over his other foot with the way she forcibly pulled him along and bumped into her when she came to an abrupt halt.

"Could you tell me what's going on now?" Megaman asked, sounding a little annoyed by her actions.

"My name is Tron Bonne." Tron said, catching him off guard yet again.

"What?"

"The last time we met outside you asked me for my full name." Tron turned around to face him. "My name is Tron Bonne. Does it ring a bell for you or not?"

_Tron Bonne, Tron Bonne..._ Megaman's eyes lit up with fascination when he pieced together the connection between her name and the explanation Barrel gave him in the hospital room with Sera and Yuna. He was sure that he heard the last name "Bonne" somewhere. _Wait a second, that's it! She's the missing link to all of this! She's part of the Bonne family!_ He took Tron by surprise when a smile finally appeared on his face. "Tron Bonne of the Bonne pirates, right?" He asked excitedly.

"Um y-yeah." Tron found herself blushing. "How did ya know? I thought you lost your memory didn't ya?" Tron asked sheepishly.

"I did but I heard about you from Barrel." Megaman told her. "At some point before I lost my memory I supposedly met you guys."

"Well, you met me." Tron clarified for him. "On this island that is."

"Under what circumstances?" Megaman was suddenly leaning towards her, hungry for an answer. "Who were you to me? What was our relation?"

"W-whoa. Hold off on the questions a bit, huh?" Tron backed away nervously.

"Megaman?" They both heard Yuna's voice from a distance. She sounded like she was searching the house for him. "Where are you?"

_Crap, that sounds like that weird girl from before! If she finds me here with Megaman then she'll ruin everything! _Tron looked around frantically for a way out and smirked when she saw the staircase leading up. _That should buy me some more time._ She thought, grabbing Megaman's hand.

"What're you doing?" Megaman blinked quizzically.

"Just come with me!" Tron whispered to him. "And don't make so much noise!" With that she dashed off with the purifier in tow, leading him up the stairs to the second floor. When they made it up, Tron let go of his hand and turned her head to the side to listen for Yuna.

_"Not in here apparently."_ Tron heard Sera.

_Cripes!_ Tron started to sweat bullets at the cold mother unit's voice. _That crazy girl is here too?_

_"Let's search upstairs." _Sera suddenly said much to Tron's panic, but Yuna managed to save her from being found out.

_"I doubt Megaman would just go up there without permission. Besides, that would be rude." _Yuna told Sera sternly.

_"Yuna, stop being so trivial with these matters."_

_"After you stop acting as though you own the place."_

_"Yuna..."_

_"...Sera."_

_"Fine."_

_"Good."_

"Those two are weird." Tron muttered.

"What?" Megaman asked.

"Nothing." Tron replied quickly before turning back to him. "Now where were we?"

"I was asking you about our relationship." Megaman answered causing yet another blush to blossom upon the young woman's face.

"R-relationship?" Tron nearly had a coronary.

"Why do you seem so flustered?" He cocked his head to the side curiously.

"N-no reason!" Tron snapped at him. "We were...er..."

"Yes?"

"...R-rivals." Tron answered.

"...As in...enemies?"

"NO, no! L-like friendly rivals." Tron lied...sort of.

"Friendly rivals?" Megaman asked.

"Yeah, that's right." Tron placed a hand on his shoulder. "And I've been meaning to become partners with you." Her words made Megaman recoil as though he was struck by some invisible force. She panicked when she saw this and asked, Hey, what happened?"

"N-nothing..." Megaman lied, massaging his right temple. "This is so sudden." He told her. "We've just met...again haven't we?"

"I've actually been asking you to join me for a while." Tron went on with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"I don't understand."

"Listen, just listen." Tron silenced him. "Do you trust me?"

"No...I don't." Megaman answered to her dismay. "W-why would you even bother to ask me that?"

"_Tron narrowed her eyes at him..._

_Megaman looked back indifferently..._

"You wanna to get back your memory, right?" Tron asked. "I mean, that's the reason you came here in the first place.""

"Not exactly." Megaman corrected her. "I only came here because I was invited."

"But you want to regain you memory don't you!" Tron ran her hands through her head erratically at Megaman's insistence to keep on fighting her.

"Yes." He nodded.

"I can help you!" Tron told him. "And in exchange you can help me."

"How is that?" Megaman placed a hand on his hip.

"Some point in the past you destroyed my beloved Gesellschaft."

"What is that?"

"It was my ship!" Tron flailed her arms angrily. "It was my home, my sanctuary, everything to me and my family!" She grabbed him by the back of his head to his growing discomfort and forced him to lean towards her. "You don't realize how much I had to go through in order to repay the debt we were in after we got it! IT WAS HELL!"

"I-I'm sorry." Megaman apologized. "But how am I supposed to help with that?"

"You can help us get the money." Tron answered.

"By what means?"

"If you agree to my conditions then you'll find out." Tron replied with a smirk. "Now is it a deal or not?" She looked to Megaman expectantly. The blue hero went silent, thinking over her proposition. On one hand he could very well be getting his self into trouble with this young woman, however, she was the missing link in all of this and she seemed to have a genuine case. Unless all of what transpired before was an act he wasn't sure what to believe because she was a damn good actress if that was he case. Another point was that traveling with Tron might increase his chances at getting somewhere with this amnesia he was experiencing. Since they'll be "working" for each other in a sense he'll be able to go where ever he wishes while with Roll and the others he was very limited under Sera and Yuna's watchful eye. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but he felt that Sera was interested in more than just getting his memory back. Then there was the chance that he might have very well destroyed this...Gessel...thing this young woman was talking about. He couldn't just let that go. They were friendly rivals weren't they? That wasn't exactly enemies...

"Er..." Megaman started off awkwardly.

"Yes?" Tron couldn't help but start smiling. He was in the palm of her hand now.

* * *

Roll suddenly felt shivers run down her spine as she set down the glass of water that she took from Matilda's out stretched hand. She wasn't sure what was going on but there was something amiss here and she could tell that whatever it was, it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Megaman..."

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

**_Next Chapter: Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc_**

**_Episode Eight: Hanging with the Pirates_**

_With Megaman being pressured to make a decision under such a solid case who can tell what might happen? Sera and Yuna are left in the dark so they can do nothing to prevent it and the former commander may very well be against them anyway. The tension is going to rise and the rage just may explode, but Megaman might not be there to be on the receiving end. _

_P.S: Yeah...it's been a while. Sorry for that... _


	8. Absence

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Megaman…however….nope, nevermind….

_**Megaman Legends: Love Heist **_

_**Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc**_

_By Traingham_

* * *

_**Episode Eight: Hanging with the Pirates**_

* * *

Megaman looked deep into the eyes of the young woman that stood before him, looking for a reason to keep him from accepting her proposition. While she was offering him a way out of Sera and Yuna's clutches, there was still something about her that he could not help, but feel slightly cautious about. Was it the way she regarded him as she awaited his answer, or was it the manner she spoke to him? The former commander wasn't exactly sure what it was, but there was something about Tron Bonne that he did not completely trust. With his amnesia, he couldn't be too sure whether her accusation of his damages to her "precious" ship were true, but that was where the problem lied. Since the moment he awakened from his bodily repairs all he'd been experiencing were meetings like the one he was having now. People claimed that he was once some other person, and whenever he refused or had shown any signs of confusion they would look at him as though there was something seriously wrong with him. The young woman with the blonde hair and red engineering suit nearly broke down into tears when he treated her like a stranger, and Tron had exhibited similar behavior, although her recovery was much quicker than the aforementioned young woman. Yuna explained to him that it was all true so what was he supposed to do? Surely, the mother unit would not lie to him...right?

_Mistress Yuna has shown me that she can be quite playful sometimes, but I doubt that she would make up such a lie for her own amusement. That elder man, Barrel didn't seem to be lying either and this girl is one of the "Bonnes" that I heard about in the explanation. Hmm...I'll see how far this takes me._ "Very well, I'll accept your conditions, however, if I feel that you're up to some sort of scheme, I'll take my leave immediately."

_Slipping out of this young woman's clutches shouldn't be too much of a problem._ The purifier unit thought to himself with a nod, causing Tron to raise an eyebrow curiously. She hated it when others thought out loud with their actions. She could tell that he was debating something within himself and it was beginning to make her feel a little unsure of how this proposition might turn out. What could she do if he refused her? Past experiences told her that the blue bomber wasn't exactly someone that could be bound and gagged...although that idea did bring many intriguing thoughts to mind.

"Scheme?" Tron blinked at his words and chuckled softly with an assuring smirk. Did she really look that suspicious to him? Perhaps this amnesia wouldn't work as well to her advantage as she assumed it would. The former commander was not as naive in his present state as she believed he would be. "There is no scheme."

"...Well, I guess I won't know unless I go with you." The blue hero reasoned, bringing a gleam to the young pirate's eyes as her confidence in her plan returned.

"Then our partnership starts now!" Tron exclaimed, a hint of happiness betraying her as she extended the former commander a hand.

"Sure...I guess." Megaman nodded hesitantly, taking her hand into a handshake. He didn't take notice of the soft blush that crept up on the young pirate when his hand closed around her own firmly. He did notice that she didn't seem to be planning on letting go though. Tron seemed to have gotten lost in her own fantasy at his very touch and it wasn't doing much to get them moving. Sera and Yuna would probably make another round of the mansion to search for him and he wasn't so sure if they would be willing to let him go anywhere without them. If he was going anywhere with Tron he was going to have to take his leave without them noticing anything. "Excuse me." He finally got impatient with Tron when her eyes began to glaze over.

"H-huh?" Tron regarded him absently when he snapped her out of her daze. The hint of a smile that hung on her lips told him that she must have been day dreaming the entire time she was holding his hand. He just didn't understand women.

"We'd better make our leave before my other companions start looking for me again." The former commander urged the young pirate. "You do have a means of transportation...right?" He inquired awkwardly. He did supposedly destroy her ship after all. With the big deal she made about it, he wasn't sure if she ever got her hands on another decent airship.

"Well, duh." Tron replied, placing her hands on her hips. "Do you think I swam all the way here?"

"...Excuse me?" Megaman cocked his head to the side curiously. "Why would you need to do that?"

"...Don't tell me that you haven't noticed the condition of this plane-" Tron stopped in mid-sentence to gather her wits and held up a hand as she turned her head the other way in building frustration. Something was telling her that this was not going to be easy. _I mean...even if I do take him to the places he'd been to before, would it really help in jogging his forgotten memory. _A worried expression graced her lovely features briefly, piquing the reploid's interest. This girl's mood never really remained at a constant for too long, did it? He wasn't sure if that was an interesting aspect about her, or if it held an unspoken danger.

_I don't have much experience with this sort of thing... _Tron's eyes swiveled back to regard Megaman's curious expression. The cluelessness in his eyes made her feel a bit helpless, but her own selfishness ensured that her mood wouldn't linger that deeply for too long. _Well, it's not like it'll cause me any problems. As long as he's with the crew, I'm pretty much content. Anywhere away from that blonde engineer will do. Now, I just wonder how Teisel will take this development._

"I was serious about before." Megaman suddenly said, bringing Tron out of her thoughts again.

"Yeah, yeah." Tron mumbled, grabbing his hand again. "I heard you the first time. Just don't make too much noise with those heavy feet of yours."

"I can disengage my armor if it helps." He offered her.

The thought of finally seeing what lied beneath the blue shell got Tron's blood boiling. "...I'm sure that won't be necessary."

"Alright."

"But how long does that offer stand?"

"Huh?"

* * *

**_[ Turning our attention to the former Commander's "Guardians"... ]_**

As Megaman and Tron made their stealthy escape from the mayor's residence the mother units and the others sat patiently in the dining room, eating their food in silence. After the purifier unit took his leave to meet his visitor at the door, Amelia and the retired digger began to recall their meetings in the past along with some political issues to bring a means of relevance to the conversation to pass the time. Amelia had already stressed Megaman's efforts earlier when she lead the group to the ruins that there really wasn't much else to mention about the blue hero so the silence had settled within the large dining hall for quite some while. The maids stood with their backs to the walls of the room with silver platters resting against their laps, should they be called upon to assist any of the guests with anything with the exception of the young maid who escorted Megaman to the door. There was an anxious look gracing her features that stemmed from the felling she felt from Tron when she met the young pirate. The Bonne held an aura of mischief around her that felt very deceiving. Despite Megaman's strengths, she felt that she might have made a mistake in allowing them to speak privately.

_He's taking quite a while with that girl, isn't he?_ The young maid thought to herself with a sweat-drop. She leaned over to the right, slightly to steal a glance at the hall leading to the door. There was no sign of Tron or the blue bomber so she assumed that they had taken their conversation to the privacy of the guest room. It was a logical deduction, considering that they couldn't have possibly gone anywhere else with each other. She didn't register the sound of the front door opening or closing for that matter so they couldn't have left either._ What could that girl possibly have told him? All of the other young women that came were pretty much turned away by him as soon as they finished exchanging greetings, and yet that rude girl seems to have caught his interest long enough for him to actually have a conversation._

"Trigger must be quite preoccupied for him to take this long." Sera suddenly commented out of the blue, setting her utensils down. The light clatter of her silverware got the attention of the others for a brief moment, however, they turned back to their dishes quickly with the exception of Yuna, obviously trying their best to avoid any eye contact from the cold mistress. Barrel and Bleucher were quite relieved that the gentle mother unit was around to balance out Sera's intimidating presence. They could swear that the temperature dropped every time Sera entered a room without her companion by her side.

"You're right." Yuna agreed with Sera, taking a sip of her drink before setting the glass down with a smirk. "This girl must have been much cuter than all the others for Megaman to take such an interest in her." She expected her words to elicit some sort of subtle response from Sera, but the cold mistress either wasn't paying her any mind, or she was too disturbed by the former commander's absence to really care for his interests. Yuna concluded that it must have been the latter, cocking her head to the side in order to emphasize her intrigue in her fellow unit's behavior. "Feeling a bit of disturbance?"

"...Yes." Sera answered after taking a moment of silence. _I can only hope that my suspicions from the past night haven't made any actual developments. Trigger wouldn't plan something this early in his recovery...would he? As much as I'd hope for that to be the case, he is a quick thinker. I wouldn't put it past him to try something rash..._

"Perhaps I should have one of the maids invite Megaman's guest over to the dine with us?" Amelia offered, but Sera shook her head and stood up from her seat.

"I will go investigate." With that, Sera headed out of the dining hall without even sparing Yuna a glance. The gentle mother unit understood her silent gesture and decided not to accompany her. For some reason whenever something involved "Trigger", Sera preferred to handle things on her own.

_Although I should know from experience that allowing her to have her way is not always recommended. _Yuna thought to herself, thinking back on the past. The forbidden continent that had once been filled with the vibrant life of civilization and wild life was proof of that. If that was all due to mourning the death of the master, Yuna could only hope that Sera's insecurity for their purifier unit would not go nearly as far.

"Mistress Yuna..." Barell called her attention hesitantly. He was slightly surprised when the mother unit turned her attention to him. She really was quite different when compared to her shorter counterpart. Sera would have probably paid him no mind. "I was just curious..." He trailed off.

"About what?" Yuna asked with a smile.

"Your friend's relationship with Megaman." Barrel replied. "If I'm not mistaken, didn't they fight each other on the colony before this entire mess happened?"

"That's right."

"So why does she seem so paranoid whenever he isn't nearby? One would assume that she wouldn't be so worried about a former enemy's safety."

"That's an interesting question." Yuna mused, looking to the ceiling before swiveling her eyes back to the retired digger. "It's really quite a mystery when I think about it. She used to be very hostile towards him back when we lived in Elysium as well. They never got along too well from the very day they first met." The mistress leaned forward with her chin resting in one hand, and a smirk graced her lips impishly. "In fact, Megaman is the reason that Sera lost her first love."

"Her first love?" Bleucher echoed her words, sounding very surprised. "That girl actually loved someone in the past? I find it so hard to believe-"

"With the way she behaves, right?" Yuna finished his thoughts for him, the smirk leaving her face slowly. Ira listened intently from the mistress's side, an expression of intrigue and misunderstanding on her pretty face. She wasn't sure what to make of what Yuna was saying. Her hero caused pain to the girl that had just left the room? Why would he do such a thing?

"Well, it's true. Megaman is the reason she experienced her first heart ache. He brought The Master to his death and for that, she was willing to destroy everything in her path until he was down to his final breath." The gentle mistress stole a glance at the entry way to the dining hall before going on, "Do you recall the "Forbidden Continent"?"

"How could we forget?" Barrel heaved a sigh.

"That was where the nightmare began." Bleucher grumbled, placing his hand upon his forehead.

"That place looked frightening." Amelia remarked. "But what does that place have to do with Megaman and Ms. Sera?"

"That was their fated battle ground." Yuna answered them casually. "They fought until they were at their limits."

"How long did that take?"

"Sera could function at full power without rest for a two month's time." Yuna replied. "Since she could not tap into her full reserve, however, she could only go on for five weeks at which point, Megaman likely initiated his counter attack."

_Both men blinked, doing their best to keep their jaws from falling through the table._

"Megaman fought her for an entire five weeks without rest?" Barrel could not believe what he was hearing. "How could that be?"

"He had an entire continent to maneuver around." Yuna folded her hands on the table with a grin. "So Sera hunted him down, destroying cities and villages. Before long the destruction had gone far beyond their control. Sera and Megaman had left the entire continent in flames before they realized what lasting effects their engagement had on the environment around them. In the end, Megaman was damaged beyond what we deemed "_Functional_" and yet he managed to escape before we could bring him back to Elysium. Sera on the other hand had been weakened to the point that we were able to imprison her before she could do the same."

_Well...I guess that isn't entirely true..._

* * *

_**[ **_**_Looking back on that fateful dusk..._**_** ]**_

* * *

_"Sera...is this the cost at which your thirst for vengeance lusts for?"_ Yuna questioned the ash filled sky. It was almost impossible for the sun to shine down on the continent anymore with the ash and debri that coated the air. Clouds gathered like a dome in the skies. From the colony it almost resembled a titanic cocoon fit for a devil spawn of legend. Cities were left in burning ruins in Sera's vengeful wake, and the wild life had either sensed the danger and scattered to the far corners of the continent or the world for that matter if they were capable of such feats, or were completely exterminated along with the once lush forests that had become scenes out of a hellish vision. What left the gentle mother unit in the most awe, however, was the silence that was left. The crackling flames and falling monuments were audible, but the chilling silence that was almost deafening to her ears came from the absence of human life on the continent. Where were they? Were they able to escape in time, or did Sera deal with them as she would any other obstacle in the way of her onslaught?

"...Sera..." A fearsome growl left Yuna's lips as her features considerably darkened. It was so unlike her to be in such a mood that it frightened the reploids that were riding in the ship with her. The only individual who didn't show any outward concern for the mother unit's abnormal mood was Gatz. He merely looked away from her and turned his attention to the nightmare below them. Wherever Sera went, Geetz was sure to follow without question, so there was no doubt in the guardian's mind that his fellow unit had a hand in the senseless destruction.

"This behavior...is uncharacteristic of Mistress Sera." Gatz finally decided to voice his inner thoughts.

"...Yes, I know." Yuna answered after a moment of silence. Perhaps she was not in the mood for conversation.

"Commander Trigger brought out this response in her?"

"Undoubtedly." The mother unit nodded without facing him.

"Very disturbing." Gatz remarked before a reploid entered the room from the main bridge of the ship. His armor design implied that he was a military model, and the small insignia on his left shoulder indicated his low rank. One of the expendable grunts that the new age council placed under Yuna's command. Such was needed for the mission that was assigned to them. After witnessing what Trigger was capable of on Elysium, taking on the entire hunter unit, they were convinced that simple measures would not do in subduing him. Add to the fact that there was an abhorrent mother unit on a rampage, and the fleet of hunter ships that accompanied Yuna's main vessel spoke for the situation quite well. What they were dealing with were two of the most disastrous threats to ever be recorded in the archives.

"Permission to speak?" The reploid requested.

"Granted." Yuna said offhandedly, seemingly irritated by the request.

"The radar has picked up two weak signatures." The soldier reported. "We're assuming that we've found our targets."

"...I see." Yuna's head seemed to hang slightly. _I knew since the very moment Sera left the colony that this final meeting would be inevitable, and yet the delay on finding them left me with a shred of hope that perhaps there would be nothing left of them...that way I wouldn't have to see them in the condition that they're probably in now. _She sighed before ordering, "Prepare to land then."

"Yes ma'am." With that the reploid turned and returned to the bridge to relay her order.

_Will I have to pass judgment on a friend and fellow companion? _Yuna felt a tingle on the back of her neck when she felt the gravitational shift in the ship. They had already reached the location, it would seem. The time for contemplation was now over. "Hm." The gentle mother unit tightened her face with a rigid expression. She wouldn't show any signs of weakness. What Sera and Trigger had done was unforgivable on an immeasurable scale. Their punishment was well deserved. Before the vessel made a clear landing, Yuna phased out of existence and reappeared outside, free falling to the ground below. A surprised expression flashed upon Gatz's features briefly before he did the same.

"Mistress, wait!" Gatz called out to her, but she had already landed and proceeded towards the designated area, flames licking at her legs as she walked through them. _Disturbing indeed..._ Was all the guardian could think, feeling a bit of reluctance in following his superior officer. Right now it didn't feel any safer around her than it could have been around Sera and Trigger.

"Sera!" Yuna called out to her former companion furiously as she walked further into the flames. Before long she had gotten to the zero site of the battle grounds where she found Trigger kneeling to another figure that had been impaled with a bar of burning, white energy. Most likely the commander had turned one of her attacks against her and successfully wounded her, although the same could have been said on Sera's part. The way the commander looked now made Yuna wonder how he was even able to get down on one knee. With the damages done to his body, he should have already been retired, and yet, even with most of his body armor completely stripped to his bare circuits and hydraulics, he was doing what most would believe to be impossible. Remains of his helmet were melted to the side of his head, the other half possibly blown away in the heat of combat, but his hair managed to stay intact, oddly enough, flowing along with the vicious winds. It looked much like an epic painting in the way it appeared; a dying knight kneeling exhaustively in the face of a fierce deity and a dead phoenix lying at their feet; most likely what was left of Geetz. Sera appeared to have sensed her fellow unit, turning her head slightly to regard her with a face devoid of all emotion...or was it sadness? It was hard to tell with the way her internal fluids dripped from her eyes, but it could have almost been interpreted as tears.

It wasn't until Trigger brought his left hand under the remains of his buster cannon, dripping with crimson fluids and crackling wires that hung almost detached from his skeletal looking arm, that Yuna regained her grip on reality. It looked so surreal to her that she had lost her focus. Sera realized that her adversary had yet to reach his limit, and turned her attention back to him, gripping the bar of energy that ran through her stomach. The sound of false flesh, and metal burning away from the intense heat was sickeningly audible as the mother unit pulled it out to do to Trigger what he had done to her in a race against time as the purifier commander charged his buster cannon for one final shot. The energy that accumulated within the damaged cannon started doing some outward harm to its wielder, plasma energy ripping across Trigger's arm from the exposed cracks along its surface, melting what was left of the hand supporting it.

"Trigger!" Sera let out a howl, bringing the bar above her head to slice the commander in half.

"Gyaah!" Trigger yelled at the top of his lungs as he prepared to unleash everything upon the mother unit, but a cry from Yuna broke what last ounce of concentration he had left, causing him to lose the stability in his arms. The heavy recoil of the shot forced his arm to the side, failing to eradicate Sera, though it managed to take her left arm in the process.

"Ah!" Sera yelped, almost falling back from the force of the hit, but she managed to stand her ground. Finding any other effective means of hurting Trigger at close quarters out of her grasp, she almost resorted to snapping his neck with her remaining arm, but before she could do anything of the sort the commander's buster unit finally overloaded and exploded right before her very eyes. She was blinded as the searing heat enveloped her, however, Trigger was the one to get the full brunt of the explosion. What was left of his body armor disintegrated like sand in the wind and both of his arms were lost in an instant. The impact sent him flying backwards like a thrown rag doll until he smashed against the side of a cliff meters away from his original position.

"Oh god!" Yuna gasped, having to crush the initial urge to run to the fallen commander. Instead her attention immediately shifted to Sera when the mother unit refused to let the engagement end there. She started staggering in Trigger's direction, compelled by some indescribable force. What was pushing her to go to such lengths? Was her hatred for the commander so strong, so deep and venomous, that she fought death even now to personally see to it that he was completely annihilated? Yuna couldn't take it any longer, rushing to Sera in hopes of possibly tackling her to the ground, but she was repelled away by a surprisingly strong barrier that sent her flying backwards.

"Mistress!" Gatz caught Yuna before she could crash into anything else.

"We have to stop her-"

**_"Take aim...FIRE!"_** Yuna whipped her head to the cliffs surrounding the area when she heard the command to find all of the military reploids with beam cannons aimed directly at her former companion and fellow mother unit. She tried to order them to hold their fire, but it was too late. Hot, yellow beams of energy zeroed in on the battle damaged goddess of death, but to their horror all of them were deflected by the invisible barrier that Sera still managed to hold up around herself. They all finally managed to catch her attention, however. She turned around slowly to look at the surrounding cliffs, standing silently for a moment before her eyes blazed with a frightening flash and the cliffs were forcibly sucked into the air by a strong gravitational pull in large chunks. The reploids were helpless in the face of her power, unable to fight the pull that sucked them into the air mercilessly.

"STOP!" Yuna demanded furiously, but Sera paid no mind to her.

"Mistress-ugh-yah!" Gatz yelped when Yuna forced him off of her to charge at the cold mistress. "Mistress!"

"SERA!" Yuna screamed, shooting at the rampant force.

"...Yuna..." Sera said her name weakly. "Leave..."

"No!" Yuna said defiantly, still attempting to break through her barrier.

"Then..." Sera jerked forward like a rotting corpse. "I will...remove you...forcibly!"

"Not in your current condition, you won't!" Yuna, now fully aware that there was a protective barrier around Sera, had forced her way through it with a ram of her shoulder and rolled to the ground when she was inside.

"Yuna!" Sera cried out furiously. "Why...do you interfere?"

"Because-" Yuna got to her feet. "-Right now you are the maverick." Her words struck a deep chord in the cold mother unit.

"MAv...eriCK?" Sera said the word to herself softly before a beam of energy shot right through her mid-section. She stood completely motionless, seemingly not registering the fact that Yuna had just shot her until she finally looked down at the leaking wound. She felt it slowly, digging here fingers into the gaping hole before pulling it out to feel the acidic substance between her fingers before her eyes. "...Yuna?" Sera questioned her, looking at her briefly before falling to the ground.

Yuna approached her fallen form and looked down on her to find the dull gray color in Sera's eyes. She was done for. _"...This is your punishment."_

_"Mistress!"_

_"Retrieve Trigger's body." _Yuna allowed no room for any questions from Gatz, but his response left her speechless.

_"That is what I meant to inform you about..."_ Gatz paused, getting Yuna to turn away from Sera's body to face him in the distance. _"He's gone..."_

_"...That's...impossible."

* * *

_

**_[ Returning to Reality... ]

* * *

_**

"Yuna?" Ira's voice brought the mother unit out of her thoughts.

"Um...yes?" Yuna turned to the girl after blinking a few times. "What seems to be the matter, dear?"

"You looked sad." Ira replied.

"Oh..." Yuna sighed, a somber expression gracing her lovely features. "Did I?"

The others at the table stared at the mother unit intently until Sera returned from her search of the residence, her expression unreadable as usual. To Yuna, however, it was clear that something was distressing her.

"Megaman?" Yuna said the former commander's name inquiringly.

"He is nowhere to be found."

_Everyone gasped..._

**_[ And so, Roll received the disturbing news... ]  
_**

Roll took Matilda's empty glass from the desk beside her hospital bed and walked out into the hall to spot the water cooler. A few of the nurses waved at her as she passed them, apparently moved by her willingness to stay by her mother's side for hours on end. Most of the other patients that were mothers and fathers in the hospital rarely received visits from their loved ones. The search for refractors and zenny was more important to people these days than looking after those in need, although they did have an excuse for that. How were they supposed to pay for the hospital bill when they had no money? Unfortunately, the higher ups of the medical facility were willing to take as much money as they could get.

"Hmm." Roll hummed to herself when she came to one of the hall windows that gave her a view of the snow covered city outside. "Does it ever stop snowing in Yosyonke?"

_Well, assuming that it's on an island closest to the forbidden continent...I'm guessing that it must suffer from the conditions of that dead world._ The engineer thought to herself, crossing her arms with the glass in one hand. _What ever caused that continent to be the way it is now? Megaman found Sera and Yuna's body buried in the snow there, didn't he? Did the mother units have anything to do with it, or is there more to the mystery that surrounds that place? How did they grt there in the first place? I thought they lived up on that colony in space._

"Something the matter, dear?" Roll turned away from the window to find the portly nurse that had been previously taking care of her mother behind her. The worried look on her worn face told the blonde engineer that she must have looked pretty troubled.

"No, not really." Roll assured her with a forced giggle. "Just admiring the city. The snow here always makes it look so beautiful."

"Ah, yes...but it would be wonderful to finally see the sun." With that, the nurse left to her own business.

"...I guess the snow could be tiring." Roll looked back out the window with a frown on her lips. "Depressing even..." _Ugh. What is this feeling I'm getting right now? I just can't help but shake the thought that something might be happening at Kattelox right now, and I'm nowhere near to ensure that something bad won't happen. God, maybe I'm worrying too much for my own good. It's not like Megaman could just disappear, right? Nobody could just snatch him away._

"Yeesh!" Roll's heart skipped a beat when her cellphone suddenly vibrated against her waist from it's holster. She hated it so much when that happened. "Must be grandpa." She muttered to herself, accepting the call.

_"Roll! Ahg...you won't believe this!"_ Roll giggled at the retired digger's voice, practically hearing the beard on his face as he spoke. Her tingle of amusement was about to leave her, however, after she heard the news he had for her.

"What seems to be the matter, grandpa? Did Megaman regain some of his memory?" The hopeful tone in the blonde engineer's voice made Barrel a little hesitant to deliver the news. Oh, why did he always have to be the one to handle these sort of things? Back at Kattelox, the retired digger looked back at Bleucher and the other carbons residing in the dining hall since Yuna and sera were nowhere in sight. After hearing about the former commander's absence from Sera, Yuna joined her in a search on the island. From how long it was taking for them to come back, it sure didn't seem to be turning out too good. From the looks he got from the others, it looked like he was on his own on this one.

_"Erm...well...y-you see..."_ Barrel tripped over his words, feeling an impending doom coming his way, and no matter how inevitable it seemed, he still was unwilling to face it outright. _"Megaman is..."_

"Yes? Megaman is what?" Roll's voice still had not lost it's child like quality.

_"Gone."_ Barrel finally let out, bracing himself for what was to come next.

"To the bathroom?" Roll asked, her mind unwilling to come to the grim conclusion that the old man was surely implying.

_"No, he's gone."_

"I don't seem to be hearing you all too well, grandpa." Roll laughed, sending cold chills down the retired digger's spine.

_"R-Roll-"_

"Because I think that you just told me Megaman is gone-"

_"Uh-"_

"-And you guys told me not to worry about him-"

_"Uh, Roll, plea-"_

"But now you're telling me that he's gone?" Roll's voice took on a frightening quality despite the amused smile that remained on her face as she continued looking out the window in the hall. By now most of the nurses were peeking out from their rooms at the sound of Roll's gradually building voice as the tapping on the window from her gloved fingers grew louder as well.

_"Yes..."_

"Out of your sight?"

_"That's right."_

"Nowhere to be found?" Now Roll's voice had just reached plain demented.

_"Unfortunately."_ Back at Kattelox, Barrel had mistakenly dropped the phone at Roll's response. Bleucher and the others flinched at the racket that came from the telephone with wide eyes. They didn't know that Roll was capable of such threats, but right now they weren't about to make any responses or their next flight might experience a crash landing courtesy of her engineering work.

**_Yeah...Roll didn't take it too well..._**

**_...But Tron was having a ball somewhere else..._**

"Not a very spacious accommodation, is it?" Megaman asked Tron when she showed him to his new living quarters in her small ship. It was probably almost as big as the flutter, but most of the cargo space was used up in old junk and odd machines. The living room was perhaps the largest room in the ship, but the bedrooms were a little iffy. Being that Tron used the master bedroom of the ship for her office, what was left leaved a lot to be desired. Being the former commander he was, however, Megaman didn't really take the size into account much. He used to sleep in a pod back on Elysium, after all, and that didn't leave much space for him to do much either. The room he was assigned was big enough for the bed that was provided for him and a dresser, which allowed him a small strip of space between the two to walk in and out of the room with. The paint chosen for the walls was blue, giving him the impression that this was all planned before hand since Roll seemed to prefer the same color for his bedroom back on the flutter.

"What...ya got a problem?" Tron tried to sound insulted, but the thought of him being unsatisfied with her felt like a blow to the stomach.

"...Not really." Megaman replied when he realized that his words bothered her. Slowly, but surely, he was catching on to considering the feelings of young women. He already left that blonde girl in tears last time when she tried to embrace him, and the little girl at Kattelox showed signs of sadness when he told her that he didn't remember her. Tron's earlier reaction to their first meeting since he fell into a coma threw in some hints on how delicate their feelings could be as well.

_"Alia…I don't know what it is that compels you to go out of your way for me but please…refrain from it now."_

_"But Trigger, I want to do these things for you."_

_"Where are you going?"_

_"Don't worry about i-"_

_"But I have to worry, Trigger!"_

_"Don't dammit!"_

_"I love you, alright?"_

_Alia...where are you now?_ Megaman thought to himself, bowing his head for a moment. _Nero, Striker, Iris, MED...why weren't you on Elysium? Where did you all go?_

"What's bothering you?" Tron asked when she saw the shift in his demeanor. She placed her hands on her hips and peered into his face with a curious expression. Her questioned pulled him away from his thoughts and he flinched a little when he found her face so close to his. While he had to admit that she was quite pretty, the proximity alone was enough to surprise him.

"I'm sorry." Megaman apologized, no traces of a blush on his face much to the pirate's disappointment. No matter, she would still tease him about it.

"Well, it looks like you do get a little embarrassed." Tron grinned impishly, leaning forward in his direction with her hands still on her hips. "This entire time you had me fooled, thinking that you were some sort of emotionless dork."

"Did I?" Was all the former commander replied with. Once again, this girl was quite unpredictable with her emotions. one moment she looks slightly timid, and the next, she's grinning like a little devil. "I didn't mean to give off that impression."

"Would you loosen up already?" Tron groaned with a frown. "We're not going to be able to work well together if you're going to be this way. You do want my help, don't you?"

"In exchange for mine." Megaman countered. "That was our agreement, wasn't it?"

"Touche." Tron replied, raising an eyebrow at his sharp wit, but her grin was back on her face in no time. "Well, since you're on my ship, you're under my command. Is that understood?"

"Your terms are acceptable." Megaman nodded, crossing his arms. "Only on the ship, anyway."

_Ooh...this might just be more fun than I thought._ Tron stood straight and stood toe to to with him, feeling his light breath tingling her neck. She wasn't going to let him act this way while she was around. It was time to put the pressure on him. "So then, as your captain I order you to smile for me."

"Excuse me?" The order caught the purifier off guard.

"You heard me..." Tron said, thrusting out her chest to force him to step back a bit. "Smile. Captain's orders." _Smile the same way you used to...the way you did when we met underground after our duel in the skies. I don't think I've ever been happier than to know that you were so worried about me. _She inwardly curse herself when she found her cheeks burning at the memory.

"You're blush-"

"SMILE!" Tron cried out, cutting him off before he could suspect anything.

"V-very well." Megaman replied quickly as her outburst before the sides of his face twitched upwards for a few seconds. "Are you satisfied?"

"What the hell was that?" Tron looked very disappointed. "That couldn't count as anythi-"

_"Tron?"_ At the very sound of Teisel's voice, Tron's entire body went completely stiff. The expression on her face froze, and her fingers curled stiffly before she slowly looked over her shoulder toward the hallway behind her. She was so excited that Megaman had finally submitted to her that she didn't take the possible negative feedback that her brothers might have at this sudden development into account. Sure, the both of them didn't really have bitter feelings against the young hero anymore...although that was still in question even now. It wasn't that long ago that they had clashed before the whole mess on Elysium had transpired.

"Aha...Teisel..." Tron grumbled, considering whether she should take the opportunity to shove the blue bomber into his room and slam the door shut. "Um...just wait a seco-"

_Too late..._

"So how was it on Kattelo..." Teisel froze at the entryway of the hall when he saw Tron and Megaman standing together at the other end. His jaw dropped, and the bag of food he had in his hand fell to the floor. "B-Blue...boy?"

"Heh...I was going to tell you about this..." Was all Tron could come up with.

"AHHHHH!" The older Bonne screamed like a girl and turned tail before Tron and Megaman heard the door to the chamber slam shut.

"Huh?" Tron scratched her cheek quizzically. "I wasn't expecting that sort of reaction at all."

**_[ Meanwhile... ]_**

Joe looked on curiously from afar as he watched Roll tighten the nuts on the haul of a one seated vessel she had constructed from the scrap parts of the shuttle she utilized for the forbidden continent. The look on her face as she worked tirelessly, soot and sweat dripping down her brow, looked frightening.

"Ms. Caskett?" Joe finally decided to be bold.

"What is it, Joe?" Roll responded curtly, much to the older man's surprise. He honestly expected her to ignore him with the way she brushed off his daughter earlier.

"What might you be planning to do with that?"

"If I'm lucky...murder."

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

**_Next Chapter: Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc_**

**_Episode Nine: A Partners in crime?_**

_Megaman has officially joined the crew, although Tron may have to do a little convincing before he is truly accepted into the Bonnes circle of business. Glide finally makes his first appearance in a while since his last job in Yosyonke, and news about the new "blue" pirate travels fast in the world of sky pirates. With all the attention Megaman is attracting and a group of women out for blood back in Kattelox, how could he ever expect to get things his way? Will Roll get her hands dirty when she finds Tron or will the pirate give her the slip with the hero on her side? Actually, should she be more wary of Sera and Yuna...or maybe just Sera?_

_Well, I'll work on that...although a bunch of you probably want to kill me right now...  
_

_P.S: Sorry about the long hiatus..._


	9. Into Motion

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Megaman…however….nope, nevermind….

_**Megaman Legends: Love Heist **_

_**Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc**_

_By Traingham_

* * *

_**Episode Nine: Partners in Crime? **_

* * *

The meeting room where the Bonnes usually did most of the planning for their operations was silent, and filled with enough tension to make the air feel uneasy to breathe. Three people sat at the long table in the center, Teisel on one side, and Tron on the other with Megaman sitting beside her, a look of indifference on his face. The way he appeared now managed to vex Teisel. The older Bonne wasn't exactly sure why, but the young man that sat across from him now was missing the key qualities that made him recognizable. The cheerful disposition was gone, replaced by an attitude one would expect from a soldier, and the expression on his face held a sad quality. What Teisel saw now was someone who had lived through more experiences than he could count in his own life time, and he found it unsettling. What had this young man come across in the deep slumber of his coma that caused him to awaken this way? Right now, however, was not the time to occupy those thoughts, and quite frankly, he didn't feel up to it to investigate. Perhaps it was even for Megaman's best that he did not delve into the dark secrets behind the sorrowful expression.

"Megaman..." Teisel said the young hero's name in a questioning manner, still unable to work up the nerve to think of a way to begin the conversation. It wasn't everyday that you met a supposedly comatose individual in your home. That sort of experience could get even more traumatic when you hadn't had the pleasantest of meetings with them in the past. Sure, Megaman was not one to hold grudges, or behave viciously to those that had crossed him in the past, but there was something about him that made him rather intimidating despite his friendly nature. Maybe it was because the Bonne viewed himself as a villain that should be wary in the face of justice. Well, now that was just getting a little too deep, but for the sake of introspective evaluation, we'll take what we can get.

"I apologize for startling you." Megaman apologized before Teisel could decide what else to say. The blue bomber gestured to Tron and went on, "Ms. Tron claims that I have a debt to pay her-"

"Just call me Tron." The young pirate interrupted him with a light growl.

"-So we've come to an agreement that I will work it off on the condition that she assist me in something important."

"Debt?" Teisel quirked an eyebrow before setting his sights on his sister. "Um, what de-"

"The Gesselchaft!" Tron chipped in before her brother could give the purifier the wrong idea. "Remember?" She nodded him along with gritted teeth. When the look on her brother's face still did not give her any indication that his mind was clicking, she threw in, "You know...the one he destroyed?"

"Well, oh." Teisel's eyebrows went up when he came to the realization of what she was referring to, but his mind obviously did not work the same way hers did since the next thing that came out of his mouth was, "So?" At his utterance of the word, Tron's jaw almost dropped in fright. Just what was he trying to do to her plans? Did he even know what she had to go through to convince the former commander to join her on the ship? Could he even begin to understand the happiness that she felt when he decided to join the crew? No, of course not! He was just a stupid, stupid man, and she was not about to allow him to destroy all of that because of his foolish pride!

"Whaddya mean, _'So'_?" Tron stood up from her seat and slammed her hands on the table, startling Trigger for a brief moment although he managed to make it almost unnoticeable with the way he limited his reflexive flinch to the twitch of a finger.

Teisel swallowed hard in the face of his younger sister's temper. He seriously did not want the rest of his day to go horribly wrong with the way he was disturbing her peace, but there was something about this little scheme that she was cooking up that was bothering him. Was it because he felt it was wrong to have the young hero slave off for them, or was it more like he just didn't want him getting involved in their sort of business? "What I mean is," Teisel squashed the small voice in the back of his head, crying out for him to stop before he could say something he'd regret, "We don't need the blue boy's help to raise the money! I just won't allow it!" He finished by crossing his arms, closing one eye as he braced himself for Tron's response.

_'Blue boy'?_ Trigger rolled his eyes at the new name that was placed upon him. _I'm beginning to wonder just what I had done in the past to deserve this kind of treatment..._

"Look here, Teisel!" Tron clenched her hand into a fist before her brother's eyes in a frightening fashion. The way her knuckles cracked made the green clad pirate gulp nervously. "He wants to help us!" She turned to Trigger for a moment with a sweet smile and asked, "Right, Megaman?"

"...Yeah." The reploid replied hesitantly, wondering if this was such a good idea after all.

"See? Besides, this isn't a charity, Teisel." Tron smirked triumphantly, placing her hands on her hips. "We're helping him too."

"With what?" Teisel asked, before looking to Trigger. "What could you possibly want from us?"

"...I've been told that I lived a separate life after my awakening on Terra." His words confused the older pirate.

"What do you mean, 'Separate life'? How much could you have possibly done since you woke up?"

"Actually, I'm talking about my awakening years ago."

_Hm?_ That got Tron's attention. _That would mean that he considered himself a completely different person when he met us in the past. So if that was a separate life...who is he supposed to be now?_ Tron folded her hands on the table with a worried expression. This was more serious than she thought.

"Back when I had awoken in the hospital, Mr. Caskett and the others informed me of what happened before my engagement with Mistress Sera on Elysium. They found me in the Nino ruins during my hibernation, and took me in as one of their family members. From there I had gotten close to Roll Caskett-" Trigger missed the twitch in Tron's left eye when he mentioned the blonde engineer's name. "-and assisted her in her goal to find the '_Mother Lode'_." He misinterpreted the lost look on Teisel's face for confusion regarding the term for the coveted treasure and went on, "The Mother Lode is a treasure in case you'd forgotten. A few years had passed with that goal in mind and the results weren't too promising. Still, we never faltered in our journey and continued until an exhaustion on the engine of the Flutter led us to being stranded on Kattelox island."

_That's about the time that you met me..._ Tron bowed her head slightly, coming to the understanding that the memory of their first meeting had been completely stripped away from his mind. She wasn't sure how to feel at hearing this information. This meant that the young man sitting beside her was a clean slate. The moments they shared together was stolen from him, along with whatever he probably felt for her...at least she prayed that he had some sort of feelings for her in the past. She didn't want to think that her feelings were one sided. That would crush her.

"Then you're saying that everything up to the point that you went to Elysium is lost on you?" Teisel scratched his chin in deep thought. He frowned, looking away from the purifier before heaving a deep sigh. "...Wow..that's...terrible. So then...you want us to help jog your memory or something? I mean, I'm not trying to be mean, but how can we help you with something like that?"

"Because you and Tron are the missing pieces of the puzzle." Trigger replied, eliciting a confused response from both pirates.

"H-How does that work out?"

"Well, from what I've been told, meeting you is what really started most of my problems."

"Eh?" Teisel and Tron deflated. It didn't sound like he really had a good impression of them.

"My conflicts with you caused me to have my chance meeting with Juno again, setting me on my path back to Mistress Sera and Yuna." For the first time in a while, the familiar gleam of excitement returned to the former commander's eyes. "All I ask is that you take me back to the places I have been to before I returned to Elysium for my engagement with Mistress Sera. I may not remember the individuals I met in the past, however, from my visit to Kattelox I have come to the conclusion that they can fill in the blanks for me. Perhaps...it may be a slim chance, but...maybe I can somehow reclaim that self that I had lost. In return I will help you gather the money required for the payments on a new airship."

"I don't...know what to say." Teisel mumbled, apparently moved by his words.

"Just accept him into the crew, Teisel." Tron pressured him. "I mean, he may not remember our relationship with him in the past, but he's still a friend."

"Well...I guess." Teisel said with a nod. He took a moment to look back at Trigger before standing up with a huge grin on his face, extending a hand to the blue hero. When Trigger took it, he shook the young man's hand vigorously. "Welcome to the crew, kid! It'd be nice to have some help after all! Especially from you!"

"Th-thank y-you, sir." Trigger tried to speak firmly, but all the shaking was causing his voice to bounce.

"Stop that! You make me sound so old when you call me that. Just call me Teisel, alright?"

"Very well."

"Say, gotcha instead." Teisel told him.

"Huh?" Trigger regarded him oddly.

"It just means that you understand. If you're going to hang out with us, then you don't want to sound out of place."

"...Gotcha."

"Now we're talking, kid!" Teisel let go of his hand, the grin never leaving his face. "It's time to celebrate!"

"Not a bad idea at all." Tron giggled, grinning at her brother's cheerful spirit. "It'll be in honor of our new crew member!" She nudged Trigger's shoulder, and grabbed his hand to get him to stand up with her. " Now let's get going!"

"Where?" Trigger asked, doing his best not to let Tron drag him out of the room with her.

"Don't know yet, but we'll think of somewhere nice!" Tron replied with a sweat-drop. _Somewhere that people don't really know us._

* * *

_[** Taking a look at the world Trigger left behind... ]**_

* * *

From the moment she'd seen Tron standing at the door, she knew that there was going to be trouble. The manner she behaved, and her appearance alone was enough to give off an aura of mischief, so why was it that she allowed her into the residence? Why did she let her sink her claws into the blue hero? It was too late to reflect on those questions now because at the present moment, the long haired brunette that allowed the pirate into the house was facing Sera and the others in an interrogation taking place in the living room, or at least that is how it seemed from her point of view, sitting on the large arm chair near the corner. Her hazelnut eyes glanced at the floor for a moment as she inwardly cursed her luck, her delicate, long fingers clutching the smooth fabric of her long skirt. From the moment she started working under Amelia to get by on her college payments, life had been very unfair with her. Her attractive looks earned her some envious co-workers, and it would still be long before she made her peace with them. The older visitors that did business with Amelia had a tendency to hit on her, making her duties that much harder to accomplish, and to top things off, trouble just followed the mayor everywhere she was. She could still remember the day that the pirates attacked the city hall on her first month working under her. She was grateful to Megaman that he came when he did because the cops of Kattelox weren't exactly helpful. She didn't understand why they didn't fund the force to acquire better countermeasures. Most of the troublemakers that came always had tanks or heavily armed robots, so why were they still only equipped with handguns? Did that make sense? No, I didn't think s-

_Damn, my mind is wandering again. _The young maid thought to herself with a yawn before she looked up to face the group of people staring back at her. So here was a millionaire, a bionic old man, a little girl, and two freaky young women with green hair and red eyes. Actually, the short one reminded her of one of those creepy ghosts in a horror adaption she'd seen. What was up with this rag-tag group?

"Young woman." Barrel held up his hand from the back of the group to get her attention.

"Yes, sir?" She responded so that he knew she was paying attention to him.

"By what name may we address you by?"

"Shelke." She replied, calmly.

"Alright then, Shelke." Barrel began, folding his hands together. "Could you ple-"

"The young woman who came last," Sera interrupted Barrel, impatient with his method. "Describe her for us."

"Sera..." Yuna called her attention sternly with a look.

"...It would be appreciated..." Sera added, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Well..." Shelke sunk into her chair as the short mother unit's gaze became intense.

"Proceed." Sera prodded her on. "Time is of the essence, you see."

"She had long hair that fell down to her waist, green eyes...um...a long jacket, and a pink shirt." Shelke raised her eyebrows for a moment to see if anyone was clicking with her description. "Is this really helping? I mean, there's plenty of girls that could fit that description."

_Everyone with the exception of the mother units murmured amongst themselves in agreement..._

"Actually, there is one detail that I feel will be very helpful." Yuna chimed in cheerfully. "Did you manage to see the earrings she had on by any chance?"

"She had on these...tacky skulls." The maid explained with a look of disbelief on her face before she went on, "But she managed to pull them off rather well. I was a little envious."

_**"The Bonnes."**_ Barrel and Bleucher said in unison, exchanging looks.

"Tron Bonne, to be exact." Yuna deducted astutely before turning away from Shelke to face the others. "Clearly, it was only a matter of time before she would make her appearance. She probably heard about Megaman's visit on the news and decided to see for herself if it was true."

"That doesn't explain why he would leave with her." Amelia finally decided to add her input.

_Trigger left in the company of that young woman with the peculiar mood shifts... _A ghost of a frown briefly appeared on Sera'a face as she stroked her chin. She approached the window behind the sofa and looked up towards the sky. There was no sign of any airships, yet, then again, she wasn't really expecting to see any. "So it was your desire to leave us, Trigger? What appealed to you about Ms. Tron?" The cold mother unit narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "Do you find me unappealing." The tone her voice took on would have given any grown man shivers.

Yuna noticed that her friend had taken her place in front of the window, and decided to investigate. She approached the cold mother unit stealthily, taking her place beside her without so much as a sound. _What is she mumbling about? _She wondered curiously, sensing a disturbance in Sera. Ever since she had returned from Elysium, all Yuna felt from her was disturbances. What was it about Trigger that allowed him to bring out so many unique reactions from the cold mother unit?

"Yuna?" Sera said her name in a questioning tone, swiveling her eyes to the side she was standing on. "What is the matter?"

"I was actually planning on asking you that." Yuna replied with a grin, getting a glare from her partner...or whatever Sera had just done with her face seconds ago. Without Trigger around, the most anyone could get from her was a simple twitch or nothing at all. If said former commander was nearby, the possibilities were endless, from dirty looks to world wide destruction, or a blush on rare occasions.

"Mind your own business." Sera grumbled.

"Ah, touchy." Yuna quipped.

"Not ye-"

**_Ding-Dong..._**

"Hmm?" Amelia looked to the main hall when she heard the doorbell. Was it another young woman with hopes of claiming the young hero? They really didn't have much time for that anymore. Seconds later a maid rushed to the door to investigate, and opened it quickly without asking for a name much to the mayor's intrigue. What was the young woman trying to do by neglecting to ask such information; trying to get them killed? Her worries were replaced with pleasant shivers of surprise when a certain blonde engineer entered the living room, however, the look on her lovely face spoke nothing of plans for a long awaited reunion. In fact, she didn't even look to Amelia for a warm greeting. Instead, she made a bee-line for Barrel and Bleucher, getting looks of trepidation from them, oddly enough.

"Agh!" Barrel flinched at the sight of his granddaughter. How she ever managed to get to Kattelox was beyond him. He was hoping that by the time they returned to Yosyonke, Roll would have cooled down from the news he informed her of, but apparently that luxury wasn't meant for him. "R-Roll..." The old digger's voice wavered in the face of Roll's fury. "How did you get here?"

"I whipped something up." Was the engineer's reply, leaving no space for anymore details to stall her from getting to the point.

_I almost forgot about that._ The old man inwardly cursed. _Her genius is dangerous._

"Gawd...so he really isn't here, huh?" Roll ran a hand down her face with a frustrated sigh and looked to Shelke, who had been sitting quietly in her seat the antire time that all of this had been going on. That way her blonded hair fell over her right eye as she regarded her sent shivers down the maid's spine. Now she remembered the young woman. She was the weapon maker that followed Megaman around town on the old spotter car that was sitting in the woods before they came to the island. Before she used to look so cheerful, and charming. She was the image of a perfect girl for any young guy to settle down with, but right now...she looked like she was about to claw someone's eye out. Once again, Shelke snapped out of her random thoughts when Roll began speaking again. "What's going on here? Are you guys interrogating her?" Traces of the calm Roll Caskett returned, sending a wave of relief through Barrel and Bleucher.

"That's right." Yuna replied in her usual melodic tone, getting Roll's attention. The red clad engineer regarded the gentle mother unit with a soft gaze. She had nothing against Yuna. In fact, she was sure that with enough time, the both of them could become close friends. After all, she saved her mother from the forbidden continent. It wasn't her fault that she ended up having to posses her body. She had no choice. Shifting her attention to Sera, on the other hand, made a rather displeased expression wash over her lovely visage. The cold mother unit was the reason behind Megaman's suffering, and the reason he wasn't truly with them today. It was not that she didn't consider the former commander, her oldest friend anymore. No, she could never think of him as anything else, but with his memory loss, she found it hard to look at him any other way. His words to her when he awakened from his coma nearly crushed her to pieces. Coming to the understanding that it would be long before he would look at her the same way, speak to her the same way, and touch her the same way was hard and painful. His smile, his cheerful voice, and his hugs were stolen away from her by Sera, and for that, she despised her. The others felt the tension build up as Sera, and Roll kept their eyes locked without so much as a blink on the engineer's part. They had to give her credit because no one else in their right mind would be able to stare down the cold mistress.

"...About what?" Roll continued to inquire about the situation, her eyes unwavering from her staring contest with Sera.

"In regard to Trigger's leave." Sera answered, seemingly to unnerve Roll.

"Yeah...right." Roll finally turned away, crossing her arms. "I knew I should have come with you guys."

"But you had to stay with your mother." Yuna interjected. "No one blames you for this."

"If I had just been around..." Roll's body tightened as she gripped her arms. "...None of this would have happened."

"Of course not." Sera'a voice brought Roll away from her musings. She turned to face the cold mistress, and gasped lightly to find a subtle smirk on her lips that held a cruel and cynical quality. It was almost as if she was mocking her. "How could Trigger ever find a way to escape when you suffocate him with your care?"

"Suffocate him?" Roll growled, narrowing her eyes at Sera. "What do you know?"

"He can't go anywhere without you to follow him." Sera's eyes widened slightly before reverting back to their cold gaze as if she remembered something. "Unless he heads into danger, of course. Perhaps his leave was due to his need for distance from us all."

"Sera. Would you settle down?" Yuna told her companion with a glare. "We shouldn't come to conclusions so quickly."

"Or maybe, just from you." Roll cracked at Sera, managing to get her undivided attention.

"Roll-" Yuna tried to calm the engineer, but Roll went on as if she didn't hear her.

"You two weren't nearly on good terms back on Elysium...am I right?"

"...Your point?" Sera droned, a hint of emotion hidden deep in her words.

"And to think that even after years apart from each other, you could only think of revenge the entire time of your imprisonment. What makes you think that he'd want to be around someone as dangerous as you? Since he returned, all you've been doing is trying to force yourself into his life."

"Were you any different?" Sera retorted, cocking her head to the side.

"At least we had something meaningful." Roll met Sera's words. "You're too cold to even understand, much less appreciate." Roll's eyes had taken on a feral quality that had never been present before. "Megaman could never like someone like yourself. You're wasting your time trying to forge a bond with him."

"Roll!" Yuna scolded her, placing her hands on her hips. "That is enough. You've made your point." She turned to Sera to find the usual devoid expression on her face, however, by taking a closer look at her hands, Yuna was able to detect a twitch. It would have been interpreted as nothing by anyone else, but Yuna could tell that Roll's words had a slight effect on the cold mother unit. _Gawd, this doesn't look like it's going to get any better soon between these two. _She looked back at Roll, finding that the young woman had shoved her hands in her pockets. Losing Megaman had a very profound impact on her. That much was certain, and it disturbed the gentle mistress.

"Now, I'm sure we're not getting anywhere by being harsh towards each other." Yuna tried to reason with both women. "With these kind of attitudes, all we'll do is scare Megaman away." She watched Roll bow her head slightly and decided to let her hear the news. "Roll?"

"...Hm?" Was the only response she got from the blonde engineer.

"We have an idea of who could be behind this." A devilish smirk crossed her lips before she went on, "Would you like to know?"

Roll looked dead at her, pulling her hands out of her pockets before asking, "Who?"

"Tron Bonne."

_Roll's eyes went wide beyond mere shock, and disbelief._

"T-TRON?" The word sounded much like a curse, coming from Roll's mouth.

"That's right." Yuna nodded, the smirk never leaving her lovely lips. "Of course, even now we're not really sure where she could be planning on taking Megaman, or even how she was able to convince him to join her..." A cute expression washed over the gentle mistress's face as she brought a balled fist to her mouth for a moment before pulling it away to say, "...If it was her doing the convincing..."

"You say that as if Megaman was the actual mastermind behind this." Bleucher said, looking on in suspicion.

"It's possible." Sera supported Yuna's idea. Her little spat with Roll seemed to have already been brushed aside. "Trigger has not exactly found his place with anyone yet. That being as it is, he wouldn't have any qualms with a change in companions as long as it will get him where he wants."

"...But what does he want?" Ira asked timidly from her place beside Amelia.

"To find himself." Yuna replied in Sera's place. She turned to Sera when the mother unit started heading out of the living room. "Where are you going, Sera?"

"A secluded area." Sera replied bluntly, her deadpan expression indicating nothing at all.

"...To do what?" Yuna asked quizzically. Though she understood Sera better than anyone, she still found her hard to figure out. This was especially true when she was having one of her enigmatic moments, which happened to be in progress at the moment.

"To synchronize with Trigger." Was the cold mistress's reply before she disappeared from the entry way.

"Huh?"

* * *

For the inhabitants of Archhalo island, life was pretty slow and boring. The people of the large town kept to themselves, and only a select group of men and women handled the importing as well as other things that involved leaving the island. This sort of lifestyle wasn't really something the younger generation believed in, and so it was no surprise that there was a rebellious atmosphere about the town streets whenever a clique of teenagers hung about, however, enough of that. Presently, most of those teenagers were either gathered in groups as hostages, or in their homes,praying that someone came to their rescue. Out were the rebellious attitudes, and in were the inner joy of family since that could have been taken away from them at any moment with the situation they were in. It was a fairly average day. Nothing interesting going on with the usual lazy mood that everyone carried about in their usual routines. some people worked, some hung out, and others sulked or did their best to make the day interesting and perhaps their life in general. That all went to hell when pirates showed up and decided to shake things up a little. Suddenly excitement didn't seem like such a welcome variable in the dull equation. They just wanted their peace back.

Large mechs, the size of tanks walked about the streets to intimidate any would be heroes, while the bird-bots stood at every house door to keep the families in while Glyde took care of his business, stealing anything that could be considered valuable or profitable in the least. He sat on the steps of the city hall near the beach of the island with a look of boredom gracing his vain features. He still sported the same brown armor he took so much pride in, and his hair was perfectly groomed. Everything about that young pirate just gave off an obnoxious aura about him, and so it did well to make one question just who in their right mind would work with him since this job happened to be a two man show.

"Hey!" Glyde looked away from cleaning his nails when he heard a calm and collected feminine voice. There at the foot of the steps stood a young woman with hazelnut eyes, and short, sandy hair just like his in a wild hair-style that did well to hint at her fiery personality, yet also spoke of sophistication. She had on a green armored suit that was just light enough for her slender frame, but fashionable enough to catch the eyes of any of the self proclaimed fashion police that happened to be within the area. In short, she was the perfect parter for someone like Glyde, so could it really have been a surprise that the vain pirate responded with a, "What is it, sis?" His words dragging like silk.

"Your bird-bots say that an airship just landed near the outskirts of the island a few minutes ago." The girl replied, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, whoever our guests may be, they won't stand much of a chance against my new toys." Glyde placed a hand on his forehead, closing his eyes in a dramatic fashion. "Maybe we'll rob them of whatever valuable they have as well. I'm sure a ship would sell nicely somewhere around these chain of islands."

"They also mentioned seeing a large skull on the side and front of the ship." Her words made her brother's eyes snap open quickly.

"Skull...you say?" Glyde asked, his lips curling into a smirk. He stood up from his seat on the steps quickly, and held his hands out in a devious fashion. "The Bonnes are here? Haha! How fortunate!" The drama-king struck another dramatic pose, clenching a fist in the air while he placed his other hand upon his chest. "So long have I waited for this moment. Now I will make fools of them for what they did to me in Yosyonke." His thoughts went to a certain green clad, male pirate. _You've fallen right into my clutches, Teisel. _Glyde clenched his teeth when Tron came to mind as well. _And as for you...you, Tron...oh, I'll have something special in store for you!_

"Glyde-"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Glyde's haughty laughs drowned out his sister's voice.

"...Such an idiot." The young woman growled, looking to the side with an irritated grin.

* * *

**_[ Switching to the Bonne's stand-point...Trigger too...]_**_**  
**_

* * *

"Looks like a nice place." Teisel commented on the quiet atmosphere of the town as they reached the entrance. It was a little eerie to find nobody there to greet them. Even the noticeable absence of the authorities unsettled him, and Tron. Trigger on the other hand looked on with an odd gleam in his eyes before he crossed his arms and looked to the side with a hint of shame. Luckily no one caught it.

"Must be one of those lazy towns." Tron commented, leading the way.

"Yeah, that must be it." Teisel agreed with her, following in suite, but when he didn't register the sound of Trigger's heavy feet, he turned to find the purifier simply staring into space. "Hey, Blue boy."

"Uh-hmm?" Trigger responded blankly when he was pulled out of his daze.

"What's the matter?"

"...Nothing really." The former commander replied. "It's just...the silence...it's chilling."

Teisel broke out into a grin at his words, clearly getting the wrong message. "Heh, too used to the busy city atmosphere, eh?" The older Bonne walked over to the blue hero and placed a hand on his shoulder before leading him further into the town while Tron did a little investigating ahead of them. "Don't worry. The quiet life has it's rewards, so it's not all that bad."

_That isn't what I mean. _Trigger thought grimly, but he decided to let the pirate believe what he wanted. It was better than troubling him with his own complex thoughts.

"So did you find anybody, sis?" Teisel called out to Tron.

"Not ye-uh-maybe!" Tron's voice suddenly sounded very distressed. Trigger and Teisel watched as Tron froze in the distance, looking at something around the corner she was at before turning on her heel and sprinting back towards them, screaming, "B-Back to the ship!" Teisel, having experienced this with his younger sibling so many time before, asked no questions, gripping Trigger's shoulder in a vice grip before running the opposite direction with the purifier in tow.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Teisel asked, glancing at Tron.

"MECHS, AND LOTS OF EM'!" Tron replied before she felt a shock wave knock her to the ground from behind. She looked to Teisel and Trigger to find that they had experienced something similar since the former commander was face down on the floor with Teisel on top of his back. She heard a whine from what she assumed was an aircraft, and looked up slowly to find one of Glyde's bird-bot fighters hovering above them. The sonic boom from it passing over them must have been the cause for their sudden lose in balance.

_"HAHAHAHAHAH!"_ Tron and Teisel cringed when they heard the familiar laugh boom from the loudspeakers of the fighter. Their suspicions of who it was laughing down on them were confirmed when the hatch opened to reveal Glyde in all of his effeminate glory. He flipped his hair to the side to strike a dramatic pose, and looked down on them with a cocky grin stretching along the side of his handsome features. "Oh my. To think that you guys would actually show up...but..." His eyes wandered over to the blue form that was still being crushed under Teisel's weight. The armor color and the hairstyle was enough gor Glyde to tell just who it was, sending violent shivers through him as his memories were brought back to the last meeting he shared with the young hero. Needless to say, he wished they hadn't.

"M-Megaman? What is he doing with you guys?" The tall pirate swallowed nervously, pointing a finger at Megaman no differently than he would a loose, wild wolf. "I was sure that you were enemies the last time I checked!"

"None of your business!" Tron snapped at him.

"Silence!" Glyde snapped at her. He turned his attention away from her when one of his mechs marched up the street behind Tron and the others before coming to a halt. Smoke hissed from the vents on its chest as the hatch opened for his sister to pop her head out. The sound got Tron and Teisel's attention, making them turn their upper bodies while they were still on the floor to allow their heads to turn enough for them to get a glimpse of the addition to the unpleasant reunion.

"Don't start the party without me." The female pirate said with a grin...that fell when her eyes stopped upon Tron. "...Tron?"

"May?" Tron was just as surprised at her appearance.

"What the hell are you doing here?" They both asked each other at the same time.

"Helping out my stupid brother." May replied with a frown, clearly displeased with this turn of events. She looked glanced at Teisel with a look of disgust before going on, "I see you brought that idiot with you."

"Hey!" Teisel and Glyde exclaimed, feeling insulted at her words, although the elder Bonne couldn't stay heated since Trigger finally decided to throw him off his back. The purifier stood up, unaware of his current situation and looked up at Glyde, causing the vain pirate to freeze in fear.

"What's going on?" Trigger asked, looking to Tron for some answers.

"Where being captured! Whaddya think?" Tron flailed her arms. "Do something!"

"Unfortunately..." Trigger waved his right arm with no response. "My buster cannon seems to be unresponsive."

"...Ugh." Tron shook her head, feeling the hope drain away from her. May on the other hand found that hings were beginning to look up after all. She just hoped that this young gentleman wasn't too involved with her rival.

"And who might this be, Tron?" May asked her fellow female pirate with a smirk as she leaned forward on the mech. "Haven't seen him before."

"H-He's Megaman!" Glyde answered her, turning blue from fear. "He's dangerous!"

"Y-yeah!" Teisel cried out with a cocky grin. "So be carefu-"

_**...THUD...**_

_Everyone froze in place..._

"Did he just faint?" May asked uneasily, looking at Trigger's motionless form on the floor. Not even minutes after he had gotten back to his feet, he had lost consciousness. Tron sweat-dropped while Teisel just felt completely mortified. Glyde on the other hand, had the biggest smile on his face as though he had just come out victorious in the fight for his life.

"Well, not so dangerous anymore, huh?"

"Mega! Get up!" Tron cried out frantically. She heard a whistle from Glyde, and the sound of marching footsteps were heard from May's direction. Before long they were all surrounded by the annoying rip offs that Glyde designed based on Tron's serv bots: The bird bots. They all chattered amongst themselves loudly with occasional caws until Glyde called their attention impatiently.

"Tie them up and take them to the city hall!" He ordered them about. "But take Megaman-"

"I'll take him!" May volunteered before he could get out another word. Her sudden eagerness to participate in the operation unnerved him.

"Uh-no." Glyde denied her of her happiness like the bastard he was. "Like I said, take him elsewhere. We don't want him being too close to Tron and Teisel when he wakes up."

**_"C-Caw! Yes sir!"_** The birds complied.

_"Loser."_ May grumbled.

* * *

[ Meanwhile, deep within the reaches of Trigger's mind... ]

* * *

Trigger pushed himself up from the cold floor, and opened his eyes to find himself back in The Master's courtyard on Elysium. The shock of being back on the colony was so unexpected that the former commander felt the stregth in his arms begin to give out, but he managed to seat himself on the floor so he wouldn't end up on his face again. He looked around in awe, lost in the eerie peacefulness of the garden. He could hear the water from the fountain that was supposedly at the very center of the courtyard, and finally worked up the will power to stand up and walk around, following the sound of the flowing water. It was almost as if his legs suddenly had a life of their own with the way they were compelled to keep on going. Perhaps it was because he subconsciously remembered that The Master would always wait for him on one of the benched near the fountain whenever he summoned him for a visit.

"Could he possibly be here?" Trigger asked no one in particular as he kept walking further into the courtyard, but when he did reach the center, he did not find The Master in wait of him, but rather another familiar face in his place. There sitting on one of the marble benches with her hands folded upon her lap with crossed legs was-

"Sera?" The former commander sounded genuinely surprised at the sight of her.

"Trigger." She said his name in one of her usual short greetings.

"How did you..." Trigger pasued for a moment int confusion, narrowing his eyes. "Where are we?"

"In you internal processor." Sera replied. "Or your mind, if that is what you prefer to call it."

"But...how?"

Sera stood up when he questioned her and closed the distance between them, just stopping an inch away from him. She looked up at him with her usual cold expression, with the exception of an odd gleam that looked out of place in her crimson orbs. It was the gleam that she always had resrved for him when his image reflected from her eyes. He just didn't understand why it was always there for him. What did it mean?

_**"We are bonded, Trigger."**_ A small smirk crossed her lips, chilling the former commander to the core. _**"Eternally."**_

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

**_Next Chapter: Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc_**

**_Episode Ten: More Complicated than it Seemed_**

_With the Bonnes caught in Glyde's ambush, and Megaman in no condition to help, how will they get out of this pinch? The teams between the vain pirate and his sister, while still not seen in action, does seem to be rather formidable, but will May be so willing to help her brother now that she's distracted by the blue bomber. Meanwhile, back at Kattelox the girls still seem to be hitting a dead end. Roll and Sera don't seem to be close to becoming tolerant of each other, and just what fate might meet Shelke now that she has gotten involved with the "freaks" as she so affectionately labeled them. Sera seems to have things in order, however, with her own plans going into action. How was she able to contact Megaman, and just what did she mean by her chilling words?_

_...Well, I'm tired of writing these episode notes..._


	10. The Ever Constant

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Megaman…however….nope, nevermind….

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc Two: Megaman Bonne Arc_**

_By Traingham

* * *

_

**_[ Episode Ten: More Complex than it Appeared ]_**

**_-

* * *

_**

Sera?" The former commander sounded genuinely surprised at the sight of the cold mother unit, sitting before him as though this meeting was nothing out of the ordinary. That, of course, being the total opposite considering all that had come to pass since they reached Kattelox. He actually expected her to berate him, or something along those line. With Sera he could never be too sure. Personal experience proved to him that she was beyond unpredictable whenever it came to situations that involved him rather intimately.

_"Trigger."_ She spoke his name in one of her usual greetings, running both of her hands down her lap until she could rest them upon her knees.

"How did you..." Trigger paused in a moment of bewilderment, narrowing his eyes. Last thing he recalled, he was in the middle of a tense situation with that man, Glyde, and his band of pirates. Whatever was happening now, it could have been causing him a major inconvenience. There was no way that he could hope to defend himself in his current state. "Where are we?"

_"In you internal processor."_ Sera replied. _"Or your mind, if that is what you prefer to call it."_

"But...how?"

Sera stood up when he questioned her and closed the distance between them, just stopping an inch away from him. She looked up at him with her usual cold expression, with the exception of an odd gleam that looked out of place in her crimson orbs. It was the gleam that she always had reserved for him when his image reflected from her brilliant eyes; so full of intelligence and immeasurable depth. One could get lost and return not realizing the time that has passed them. He just didn't understand why it was always there for him. What did it all mean? Just what exactly did she desire from him? The last time he bothered to check it was his life.

_"We are bonded, Trigger."_ A small smirk crossed her lips, chilling the former commander to the core. _"Eternally."_

Initially, her words had not affected him at all. One would have to sympathize with the former commander; It wasn't everyday that you were told by the very woman that had supposedly loathed your very existence that you were bonded with her, and to make matters even more intriguing, she appeared to be quite pleased with this. It was rare to find Seras expressing any kind of feeling, and yet, right now she had a subtle smirk on her lips that made one particular emotion apparent: _Amusement_. What did the mother unit find so amusing about this? In fact, how could he believe her? The cold mother unit was one ruthless manipulator.

"You expect me to believe that?" Trigger backed away from her, glancing left and right at his surroundings. Even if he tried to deny it, what he stood on did feel solid. Even Sera felt too real to be some kind of figment on his imagination. He didn't take himself for the type to have nightmares...normal ones, anyway. _What was that?_ The commander raised an eyebrow at the odd thought that struck him. _Imagination? Am I really capable of something so wondrous?_

_"What is not to believe, Trigger?"_ Seras questioned him, stepping forward with every step that he took back. _"Have I ever been one to lie?"_

_No. Not to me, anyway._ He inwardly quipped. _Though I wonder if you're even capable of something so human to begin with..._

_"Your thoughts ring as clear as spoken words."_ The mother unit informed, catching him off guard.

"...You're not lying..." He nearly mouthed his words in shock as a violent chill spread about him. If he could recall correctly, mind reading was not one of the abilities that the mother units were gifted with, so the fact that she was able to tap into his mind could only mean that she was, indeed, connected to him somehow. Now that certainly did not make the former commander very comfortable. He actually liked keeping to his own thoughts very much, and the last person he'd think of sharing them with was her.

_"As I implied before, I am not one to lie."_ She now had him cornered.

"But how is it possible?"

"Do you not recall the very reason you're in your current state?" The cold mother unit questioned him, hold both of her arms behind her back. "When you transferred your essence into my original body all of your data was transferred as well."

All of it? Trigger nearly cried out audibly. Not that keeping it in really mattered since she could hear his thoughts just as clearly if it had left his mouth.

"Yes." Sera nodded, tapping her temple with two fingers as her crimson eyes delved into his own. "Every _moment_ you spent on this planet. Every _sensation_. Every _word_." She paused for a moment to allow him to digest her words before she finished him off._ "Every thought."_

For once, since having awakened from his comatose state, something very human finally processed through the former commander's mind. "You mean, to tell me that all of it...everything is within you. Everything that was stripped away from me...you have it all?" Trigger felt the sudden urge to reach out to her and grasp her shoulder, but he crushed it immediately before he could act on it. For a moment he thought he'd seen something flash across the mother unit's face though it came and went so fast that he couldn't be sure if it actually happened or if was a trick of the garden lighting.

"While it certainly isn't something I'm very interested in, it's there." Sera replied. "Ironic, is it not? That which you desire most resides within the one you wish to keep away from."

"Then...surely there must be some sort of way to return it."

"That might not be possible." Sera blotted away his ray of light with her words. "It isn't something I can transfer, much like the data that walking drive has stored within it. It is far deeper than that. You would know, after all. You would have lost your life completely after having transferred it to me had it not been for your regenerating capabilities."

"If that's the case, why even contact me?" Trigger asked her curtly. "You don't attempt persuasion without some kind of bargaining chip. Even someone like yourself should know as much."

_"A bargaining chip?"_ Sera allowed her head to tilt to the side slightly in order to express her curiosity, another new thing coming from the mother unit. _"Why would I need something like that?"_

"You want me to return, don't you?" For a fleeting moment he wasn't even sure if that was the case anymore with the way Sera merely stared at him. "You didn't just sync with me for leisure conversation..." He trailed off feeling unsure of his own choice of words.

_"Perhaps..."_ Sera replied, holding her hands behind her back.

Trigger raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" He felt a hint of shock run through his internal systems when Sera mirrored his expression, raising one eyebrow herself. The thought of someone like herself contacting him for casual talk was enough to change his entire perception of the world around him. Reality would have to bend out of whack for something like that to be possible.

_"Though, referring to myself,"_ Sera placed a hand on her chest, _"a being of my power and capabilities, one would question whether a bargaining chip even serves a purpose. As a unit who knows very intimately what feats I can achieve, even without my full reserve, I am rather curious as to why you might even inquire such methods."_

"I'm sorry," Trigger stepped past her before turning to face her, "For a moment I was under the impression that you were implying something unpleasant."

_"Unpleasant is far from the suitable word, Trigger."_ Sera told him with a slight shake of her head. _"I can assure you, as a friend, that my efforts have no ill intent in mind."_

"You mean to bring me back by force. There's a clear contradiction in your words and intended actions, _Sera_.."

_"If you would push me to such methods."_ Sera retorted, crossing her arms. _"You can always simply return to us of your own free will."_

"You mean, to you." Trigger quipped. "I'm sorry, but I have other things in mind."

_"So you know, Trigger, being able to synchronize with your mind does not only allow me to communicate with you." _The mother unit closed the distance between them to place a hand on the side of his waist. He couldn't feel her delicate touch through his armor, but her impact got through to him all the same. It was enough to send violent chills through a man. Seeing that her point was made, she stared him dead in the eyes and asked, _"You understand?"_

"...Then this should keep me on my toes." The purifier answer her.

_"The ever constant nature of our relationship."_ Sera told him with a nod.

"Something we can both agree on." Trigger offered her a subtle smirk. Apparently there were things that only Sera could bring out of him as well.

**_[ Back at Amelia's Residence... ]_**

Sera snapped back to reality when the former commander forced her to part from his mind. Naturally, since it was his own personal domain, he would have enough influence over it to pull it off even if she made any kind of resistance. _Though the scales would tip in my favor if I managed to imprison his consciousness within my own mind..._ The mother unit rose up from her seat on the stair well as that disturbing scheme came to mind. _I must find a way to make that possible._

"So," Sera stopped her descent when she realized that Yuna was awaiting her at the foot of the stairs with her usual grin. She would not have put it past the gentle mother unit to spy on her while she was having her conversation with Megaman. "Were you successful in reaching our dear, Megaman?"

"If you are referring to, Trigger, then, yes." Sera replied, continuing her descent again until she stood one step before Yuna. "He refuses to come with us peacefully, however."

A small frown crossed Yuna's lips as she brought a balled fist to her mouth. "I see. I did think it was rather odd that he didn't put up more of a protest when we had him accompany us to the flutter after he awakened from his coma."

"He still is not fully convinced that I pose him no threat." Sera mused.

"Not that we should blame him." Yuna told her fellow unit with a wry smirk. When Sera looked to her dispassionately, the gentle mother unit simply asked, "Need I say more?", before taking her leave of her long time partner and joining the others outside in front of the residence. The cold mother unit watched Yuna's back until she disappeared from her view and looked up to the ceiling in a long silence before looking to the window behind the couch in the living quarters. The white clouds drifted slowly along the blue sky, a change from the still, darkness of space.

"Trigger..." She held one hand out before her and closed it, giving off the illusion that she had grasped out of the white masses of smoke. "...prepare yourself."

* * *

Megaman touched the back of his head as he regained consciousness and took a look at his surrounding to find himself in a small room with plated walls. Three of those four walls were made up of rows of small compartments, all of which were either blown open _(likely the work of small explosives)_ or left ajar. The fourth wall was the exit out of the chamber, though that was now impossible since the purifier happened to be locked in by an armored, reinforced door. As one would have it, the blue hero had been locked in a bank safe, and the only way to open it would have been through some assistance from the other side. Well, that would have been the case had one assumed that Megaman was a mere man, which judging by the name that Roll Caskett had affectionately given him, was far from being fact, however, Glyde's bird-bots happened to assume just that, so...hmm.

"They had us separated." The blue bomber observed, standing up from his resting spot on the floor. He crossed his arms as his conversation with old nemesis echoed in his mind. "If only she had not taken that moment to contact me, this could have been avoided. So far, Sera may have the upper hand. The longer it takes for me to resolve this matter, the less time I have before she arrives here to apprehend me."

_I don't want a reminder of just how difficult that woman could be... _The former commander inwardly cringed as he pressed a hand against the backside of the armored door. He gave it a slight push to gauge its sturdiness as another thought came to mind. _...Would Yuna assist her?_ Something told him that it might just come to that. The gentle mother unit did show that she had an interest in him, though the nature of that interest was still something he was rather unsure of. His guess was that the root of her fixation might have had something to do with her worries in regard to the situation surrounding the destruction of the EDEN system.

"Excuse me!" Megaman called to to whomever was present on the other side. "If you are standing anywhere in front of this door it would be in your best interest to clear out!" After stating his warning he waited a moment for some sort of response, only to be answered with silence. With that he took a few steps back and prepared to ram the door with his shoulder, but before he could take a step to begin his charge he came to a halt and sighed. Something in the back of his mind was still causing him to hesitate. Perhaps this had something to do with the supposed alter ego that the girl in red kept on claiming him to be. "...Please heed my warning! I'm serious!"

Megaman narrowed his eyes when he was answered with more silence and clenched his teeth before giving it a go. The steel door crumpled against the purifier's shoulder like an aluminum can when he made contact, and the bound hostages that were being kept outside in the lobby could only gape in unadulterated shock as the vault door suddenly unhinged itself from the wall and grew two legs, charging across the room and crashing through the opposing wall before being thrown into an unsuspecting bird-bot mech that was standing guard in the street. The vault door was thrown at such a velocity that it cut right into the armor of the mech, setting off a spark in the damaged engine and setting it off in an explosion that only left a ball of fire in its wake.

Ladies and gentleman, Archhalo just found itself a new hero, and he was...a young man in blue, digger armor? The people in the bank, despite just witnessing an amazing feat of strength from the former commander, started to doubt their luck already until some of the more well informed hostages, predictably a young woman and her little sister suddenly cried out excitedly, _"It's him! It's Megaman!"_

"Hm?" The purifier looked over his shoulder when he heard the gleeful cries of his name from the two hostages. Then, almost as if their cries set off a chain reaction, others suddenly began to recognize him.

_"You mean, the kid that saved Kattleox?"_ An older man questioned with clear disbelief in his voice. _"I thought that was just a silly rumor!"_

_"Whoa! It is him!" _A little boy gasped.

"...Turns out that I made a name for myself..." Megaman said to no one in particular, having the sudden urge to massage the back of his neck from all of the attention he was attracting from the audience. His eyes sharpened, however, when he heard some rumbling. He regarded the source to find a squad consisting of four mechs approaching from the western section of the town to investigate the explosion that echoed through the streets. He should have anticipated this, and with no buster cannon at his stead, this was bound to cause him more trouble than it should have. Well, such was the life of the blue bomber.

_I'll have to find out where Tron and Teisel are before I return to the ship!_ The former commander thought, kicking forward to begin his charge toward the approaching mechs. From their visuals they were able to make out a blue, humanoid figure in the distance before the reploid was able to pick up enough speed to close the distance and engage them in combat. Trigger prepared himself, bracing both arms in front of his face before he bent his knees for a fleeting moment and jumped into the leading mech. The force of his running jump allowed him to crash right through the mech in a blur that confused the other bird-bots. Now, naturally something like that would have been considered beyond unusual. It wasn't everyday that you saw a man use his own body as a bullet, however, Trigger managed to utilize his body in just that manner.

Trigger rolled when he hit the concrete, and stood up before whipping around to face the remaining three mechs. The bird-bots, having seen enough of what the young man was capable of, opened fire on him with their arm mounted machine guns. Sparks showered the streets like a light show as countless rounds sprayed at the spot that the purifier had supposedly been standing before one of the bird-bots shrieked in fright. Two of the unaffected mechs quickly turned to face their distressed comrade to find Trigger desperately trying to hang on as the mech he engaged did its best to shake him off before he could inflict any major damage. The former commander, finally managing to get a good grip on one of the handlebars that protruded from its shoulder with one hand, used his other to punch right through the exposed joint to grasp whatever he could get his hand on and rip out the cables that allowed interface between the main controls and the right arm movements. With that out of the way, he let go of the handle bar and positioned himself so that he was tucked between the main body of the mech and the dead arm. Kicking both of his feet into the mech as he gripped the mech's extremity with both hands, he mustered the strength to kick off, taking the arm with him!

_**"Caw-Caw! Shoot him down alread-"**_ The bird-bot in the severely damaged mech couldn't complete its sentence since the reploid used its severed arm as a battering ram, smashing it directly into the cockpit. The other two opened fire quickly, no longer caring for the risk of shooting their own mate in the process, but all bullets were deflected as Trigger used the arm as a shield before whipping around and tossing the heavy arm in the direction of one of the remaining suits.

"What a workout..." The former commander grunted, looking to the final mech as their partner exploded. He jabbed an accusing finger at it, and the bird-bot got startled. "The Bonnes! Where are you holding them?"

_**"I c-can't answer that! Ca-Caw!"**_ The frightened voice replied from the loud speakers of the mech.

"You're a witness of what I just did to your comrades." Trigger clenched his hand into a fist in a threatening manner. "Do you want to join them?" He inwardly cringed, sure that such words were more fitting for leaving a certain mother unit's mouth. That sure left a bad taste.

_**"N-No way!"**_

"Then, talk!"

_**"The Town Hall!"**_

"Wher-" Trigger stopped in mid-sentence when he heard an ominous hiss. It almost sound like a decrease in steam pressure...almost like a machine! His first instinct was to move, sprinting forward as fast as he could, and it served him well, saving his hide from an explosion. The bird-bot in the mech was not as lucky, left in a state fit for the scrap heap.

"What?" Trigger looked over his shoulder just in time to see something vanish from his sight. Someone was using heat-camouflage. "That'll do it." The purifier said grimly before he heard the distinct sound of moving gears near him and it made him highly uncomfortable.

"There!" The blue bomber kicked back into a back flip, dodging a swipe from what had finally revealed itself as another mech model. Apparently its heat-camo temporarily wore off whenever it had to attack. Judging from the good look the commander had while its camouflage took a moment to kick in again, the machine resembled an armored imitation of a feline with cannons mounted on the shoulders of its front legs. The pilot happened to prefer the paint job on their mechs to be black and green, it would have seemed.

**_"A live one here, I see."_** May's voice echoed from the loud speaker of the mech in a near snobbish manner. The purifier was able to detect a hint of intrigue in her voice._** "I wonder where Tron might have found you. You definitely aren't the regular, garden variety!**_" She followed her words with another swipe from her mech, smacking Megaman into the building beside them. When the dust cleared out, she checked for his body to find nothing...at least until there was a sudden crash from above her.

"Ah?" The war mech immediately looked up in time to see Trigger crash through one of the one of the fourth floor, office windows. He came down upon May, landing on top of her mech and wasted no time in starting a break in attempt..

_**"Hey, HEY!"**_ May started to panic when she heard his fist hit the spot exactly above her cockpit, and it didn't exactly sound as if he was pulling his punches. It was time for her to take emergency maneuvers! _**"G-GET OFFA ME!"**_ The mech came to life again, jerking side to side in a desperate attempt to shake him off.

"Ungh!" Trigger pulled back one arm quickly and punched with all of his might to get one hand lodged into a dent within the armor. The ending result had the reploid resembling a rodeo cowboy as May did her best to have the mech buck him off. In the end, all she managed to do was make the citizens of the town cry as the robotic jaguar's rampage left the surrounding buildings in ruins. That wasn't going to go away with chump cash...

While that happened to be going on, Tron and Teisel had worries of their own, being tied and bound with their backs toward each other while Glyde paced back and forth in front of them with a devious grin on his handsome face, and oh did they hate that face! The first thing Tron wanted to do as soon as she managed to get free, was to punch him in he face repeatedly until he no longer had anything to smile about. Teisel, on the other hand, was just a little creeped out by the way their arch nemesis was looking at him. Something in the back of his mind was just blaring warnings, and if there wasn't any duck tap stretched over his mouth he probably would have screamed at the images that kept on popping up in his head.

After a few more paces, Glyde finally lost his patience and nearly tore at his hair, By this point his two onlookers were getting the impression that the man had finally gone over the deep end. "Curses!" The drama king hissed as he shook a fist to the air. "I've been waiting for this for so long and now that I have you two, I've forgotten all of the things I had in store!"

_"MMNMM!"_ Tron shook her head in irritation, kicking her legs up and down.

Glyde smirked and leaned over her, placing a hand behind one ear as though she needed to speak a little louder. "What was that? You wanna go firs-"

**_WHACK!_**

Tron's left foot struck his chin, throwing his head back before he could finish taunting her. Naturally this pissed him off and he tried to get even by reeling his hand back to strike her across the face with the back of it. Teisel glanced over his shoulder to see this and jerked forward with a lean so that Tron was whipped backwards, striking Glyde across the face with both of her boots this time.

"AGH!" Glyde slapped a hand against his cheek as he looked away. "This is going to bruise, brat!" He whipped his head back around to regard them and gasped when he saw the two siblings on their feet. "How did you..." A nervous wheeze left the man.

**_"MMMMM!"_** Tron and Teisel made their move, doing their best to synchronize the movement of their legs so that they could make a run for the door of the mayor's office.

"Oh, no you don't!" Glyde scowled. He came after the two of them seeming very confident about this course of action. Honestly, they were harmless as long as they were bound together, right? Well...wrong. Tron, seeing that Glyde was coming in close, knocked against the back of Teisel's head with the back of her own, and they switched positions so that Teisel faced the brown clad pirate.

_"HRM!"_ Teisel gave Tron the signal to charge and they both turned the tables on Glyde, coming after him instead. Needless to say, Glyde wasn't feeling so confident about his own situation any longer. As this painful game of tag ensued, if looked out the west window of the office and really, _I mean really_ paid attention, they would have been able to make out Megaman holding on for dear life as May's jaguar mech continued to try to buck him off. So far it still looked like a stalemate for the both of them.

"Hyaa!" Glyde grabbed a book off of the shelf behind the mayor's desk and chucked it at Teisel. When he landed a hit on the green clad pirate's chest, he cried out in triumph. "Ha, ha! How do you like-"

Teisel shrugged it off and tossed his head to the left to alert Tron that they were to side step to the left.

"You want some more, eh?" Glyde grabbed two books from the shelf and chucked them both at Teisel. One hit his right shoulder and the other hung over the two Bonnes, spinning in mid-air for a few seconds before coming back down on top of Tron's head instead. Yes, while it may not have been the person he was exactly aiming for, at least it still hit somebody. Unfortunately, Tron didn't take to it too well, and the urge to punch Glyde's face suddenly increased ten fold.

_**[** Looking at the west window:_ Trigger and May's game of ride the wild jaguar suddenly seemed to be coming closer to the town hall.** ]**

"Gah!" Teisel and Tron finally managed to get around the desk, much to Glyde's horror. The villain did his best to knock the book shelf over, on top of them, however, after two desperate pushes it just kind of seemed hopeless. That being made clear, it was time to make tracks. "That's it! Bird-bots!" Glyde cried out for his loyal drones to come to his rescue as he jumped on to the mayor's desk to evade Teisel and Tron. He hopped off and made a run for the door, but Tron alerted Teisel of this and she took the lead in chasing their annoying foe.

_"MMN!"_ Tron's eyes flared frighteningly. When Glyde finally managed to steady his hand and turn the door knob to open the door, Tron and Teisel caught up with him, colliding and taking him down a rather inconveniently positioned staircase with them. Needless to say, the trip down would leave them with headaches because snapped necks tend to cut stories short.

Checking back on Trigger's status, the purifier unit had become quite aware of how close they had gotten to what he assumed was the town hall, judging by its large size and the law enforcement vehicles that May had crushed under the weight of her mech with all the wild bucking she was doing. If he didn't put an end to this any sooner, he was going to be looking at some nasty casualty issues. With that in mind, he decided to stand, risking the chance of being thrown off, and reached out blindly in the direction of the left shoulder cannon. After some frustrating clawing he got his hands on something thick and cylindrical. Looks like this was it.

"Rrrngh!" He wedged his feet into the shoulder joint unsteadily and began the arduous process of disengaging the cannon from the mech's shoulder. With enough time and effort Trigger felt some progress before the interface wires snapped free from the mech, crackling and sizzling with electricity at his forceful methods. It weighed, that was good enough for him. "Now..." Trigger's brow wrinkled in concentration.

Inside, May was working the controls like a maniac when suddenly-

_**CL**_**ANK~~~**

"H-Huh?" May looked up to see the unthinkable. _The cockpit door is...being busted open from the outside? What...is...HE?_

_**CLNK~ZTTTSH!**_

The piloting seat started to feel a little drafty as the lovely, May, found herself being looked down at by the service end of her own shoulder cannon, and for a moment her life flashed before her eyes before everything went completely black. Trigger pulled the cannon away from the entrance he made and tossed it off to the side. The Mech stopped its erratic movements much to his confusion since he actually expected her to go all out when she realized that he had direct access to her. Unfortunately-

"She fainted..." Megaman observed, finding May face down on the controls, which probably meant that he should have gotten her out before the mech fell over as a result of being uncoordinated. The reploid did just that, reaching in to scoop her up by her armpits and held her in his arms, bridal style, before he ran toward the rear end of the mech and grinded down the end of its twisting tail to kick off with a flip and land on the front lawn of the town hall with style as the mech fell over at the same time, crushing a few more law enforcement vehicles underneath it.

"The Bonnes should be inside." Megaman mused, walking toward the town hall building at a normal pace as though everything that had just transpired could have compared to nothing more than a mere workout...though considering what he was used to, it probably felt like a training simulation. Apparently they didn't make mechanoids the way they used to. At least they were once able to think and fend for themselves. Under the direct command of humans, they preformed horribly. Not that he was complaining, mind you. The easier this was, the less time it would take for him and his two partners to leave the island, saving him from a meeting that he'd much rather avoid all together rather than escape from. When Sera had something in her sights, she tended not to let go until she had it within her grasps, and if the present state of the _Forbidden Island_ wasn't enough proof of that, then maybe you needed some first hand experience before you decided to be a judge.

Shifting May's unconscious for so that he was able to drape her over one shoulder, Megaman reached for the door handle of one of the entrance doors and turned to find it locked. Of course, a simple pull took care of that problem, and he walked right in to find a group of bird-bots surrounding the foot of one of the curving staircases that led up to the second floor. He was going to have to give this a shot. "Excuse me?"

_They all turned and looked at him..._

_...he silently stared back..._

_...and they proceeded to hurl themselves out whatever windows happened to be nearby. Walking in with their boss's sister slung over your shoulder could do that to that for you...or maybe it was just being Megaman. The latter seemed a bit more convincing if you thought about it._

"...I see." With the birds out of the way the reploid was able to see for himself what they were so interested in. Apparently, Tron and Teisel were quite able to defend themselves when necessary. All they really needed to learn was how to do it effectively because knocking yourself out with the person posing a threat to your life just couldn't be seen as a victory no matter how you looked at it. Megaman held May in his arms properly once more, and kneeled down carefully to rest her on the carpeted floor gently. Satisfied with the way he left her, he approached the mass of arms and legs that were The Bonnes and their arch foe, and proceeded to undo the ropes that bound the two siblings together.

"Guys." Megaman nudged the two of them, still neglecting to lift them off of Glyde. He was just fine where he was. When the two didn't exactly respond, _though that twitch from Tron was mighty suspicious,_ the former commander scooped the lovely pirate into his arms and nudged Teisel a little more before simply getting fed up and kicking the elder Bonne in the shin.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Teisel suddenly came to life, gripping the spot where the blue bomber's foot connected. He initially whipped his head in Megaman's direction to threaten him, however, at the sight of the blue boy the pirate's expression fell blank before a goofy smile gradually worked its way along his lips. He knew that he could depend on him, _but just to make sure... _

"Did we win?" Teisel sounded hopeful in his inquiry.

_"Yes." _

"Yeah," Teisel scratched the back of his head, a little awkward. "I had a feeling we did."

* * *

**_[ A little later that evening... ]_**

The mayor just finished alphabetizing the books on his shelf when there was a sudden knock on his door. With an exasperated sight the tall, middle aged man called out, "Come in!" They had just recovered from a crisis and new complaints were already coming to him? He knew about the damage to the residential district. He knew about the destroyed property belonging to the law department. He knew about all of the damages because his secretary wouldn't leave him alone about it, so what was it now?

"Um, Mayor, sir?" One of the young policemen poked his head in nervously after cracking open the door.

"What is it, Oswell?" The Mayor asked, clearly not in the mood to listen.

"You have visitors, sir."

"It is really that important?" The Mayor walked over to his messy desk and started arranging the things in place again. He grabbed the plaque with his name, face down on the desk surface, and polished it with his suit sleeve before positioning it properly at the front of his desk again. "Have them sit in the waiting room. I'm a little busy as you can see."

"But, sir-_ULK_!" The young officer was pushed inside before he could speak any further and a short, green haired girl walked in followed by another girl that resembled her, though much taller, and a few other people. There was a hunched over, old man with prosthetic eyes, the infamous Von Bleucher, a pretty young woman wearing a red engineering suit with unruly blonde hair, and another young woman with long hair, holding the hand of a younger girl. Needless to say, the Mayor was a little perplexed by the presence of the group. Those two girls with the green hair didn't seem quite normal, really. The short one with the cold gaze was pretty disturbing.

"...Um, yes?" He suddenly felt a little more accommodating under Sera's gaze.

"Hello!" Yuna decided to step in and talk before Sera could. She knew that her cold counterpart would only serve to unnerve the man further than he had already become in her presence. "We're just in need of some help."

"Yeah...s-sure." The Mayor stammered, a little more relaxed now that Yuna had purposely stood in front of Sera. "How might I be of s-service?"

"We're in search of a friend." Yuna explained with a warm smile that worked on the tension in his face. He found that he couldn't help but offer a small smile in return. "Does the name, Megaman, ring a few bells?"

"M-Megaman? Why y-yes, indeed!" His response elicited some excitement from the blonde engineer, drawing her forward from her place beside the hunched old man.

"Did you, really?" Roll smiled, clasping her hands together.

"Of course, young lady." He said, almost feeling a tingle of pride at having brought a smile to such a lovely young lady's lips. "Just earlier he released this town from a dastardly band of pirates all on his own! That young man was simply amazing!"

"That sounds like him." Roll giggled, a blush tingling at her cheeks. "Good ol' Megaman!"

"Of course, his two companions...I could really care less about." The Mayor grumbled. When he told Teisel and Tron that the town was in their debt for releasing them from the pirate menace, he wasn't expecting them to fully take advantage of their good deeds by milking as much money as they possibly could before he snapped in two. Couldn't they just have asked for a free dinner instead?

The Mayor suddenly felt as though he had done something wrong as Roll's cheerful expression faltered a bit. "...Um..."

"That aside," Yuna cut in before he could try to comfort the engineer, "Did Megaman happen to say anything about where he was headed next?"

"Well, uh-" The Mayor tried to recall the question that the blue bomber asked him before he took his leave with the Bonnes. "...Now that I recall..."

"Think hard." Sera brushed past Yuna and Roll to confront the poor man. "We must find him quickly."

"U-Uh, ah, yes!" The Mayor cried out excitedly as it all came back to him. "He seemed quite curious about the ruins of _Manda Island_."

"Manda island..." Sera echoed him before looking to Yuna in question. "Anything you can deduce from this?"

"Not exactly." Yuna replied.

"...A feint." Sera reasoned. _Trigger may have anticipated this, so he left this man with a question as if to imply that he was heading there, with the assumption that we would take the bait and head completely off his course. _"A clever tactic, but you'll have to try harder, Trigger." The cold mother unit said to no one in particular before returning her attention to the Mayor, causing him to flinch. _Trigger has made it difficult for me, however. He's managed to block off any chance of me linking to him, but he'll weaken soon enough._

_"That has been enough."_ Sera turned away from him and headed for the door much to Yuna's annoyance. Sera could be so rude, even if it was unintentional. _"If we linger here any longer, Trigger will fall farther from us. We cannot afford to fall behind too far."_

_**"Heh."**_

_Yuna flinched, as did everyone else when they swore a chuckle escaped Sera's lips as she walked away._

_**"Words were never spoken so true, Trigger. That is the ever constant nature of our relationship."

* * *

**_

**_To Be Continued...

* * *

_**

**_Episode Eleven: Shadows in the Sand_**

**_Legends Arc Three: Inflections_****_  
_**


	11. What was Buried

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc Three: Inflections Arc_**

_By Traingham

* * *

_

**_[ Episode Eleven: Shadows in the Sand ]_**

**_-

* * *

_**

_The Eden council had assembled for the third time on this fateful day. The first was for Sera to confirm her suspicions about 'The Master' with the council members, and the second was to have the entire colony on first alert for what had been the most disastrous incident to befall mankind since the beginning of the Maverick epidemic. Now, on this third meeting, all of the members were far from calm. They were far from alert, or prepared for what they had to face now. They were pale, tired, and in need of many things that a good night of rest could not supply them with, but most of all, they were scared. Countless years of patience, and careful calculation had all been ruined in just over an hour, and the ones to blame were the very individuals that were created to enforce the order that was meant to keep that from happening._

_The members were gathered in the chamber of discussion, lights dim with only enough brightness for their faces to be visible towards one another. They were seated at a long table, set in a circular fashion so that they were all facing no one in particular. The floor was made of reinforced glass with a detailed, hologram image of Terra beneath their feet, occasionally zooming in on different areas of the planet with statistics listing from temperature, and the rate of pollination and growth of vegetation within specific locations._

_"My fellow members...my closest friends," One of the members, an elder gentleman with slicked gray hair, and a short beard called the attention of the others. He was dressed in a white uniform, reaching over five feet in height. His name was Thomas, and nothing more. Members were not assigned last names, "I have gathered you all here today to deliver some very disturbing news. Some of you may have already heard..." He paused as the other members shifted in their seats uncomfortably. "...The Master, is dead."_

_There were gasps..._

_Thomas nodded before he went on, "He was taken to the planet, where his bodily functions promptly gave in to the unfamiliar conditions that were presented within the environment, and died."_

_One of the other members, a man close to Thomas' age, slammed one trembling hand upon the table. His gray hair, as opposed to Thomas, was balding, giving the illusion of a crown around the man's head that jabbed out with spiked strands at the sides like gray wings. His mustache seemed to follow the same style as his hair, jabbing out from the side of of lips, and curving upwards. This man's name was Wily. _

_"Are you to tell me that this was all possible because of one mere reploid?" Wily nearly snarled in question._

_Thomas nodded, "Unfortunately, that is correct, dear friend."_

_"The Commander of the second battalion, Trigger, of the Purifier series." Another member, a completely bald man with a long, white beard and bushy eyebrows, spoke. This man went by the name, Cain._

_"I-I've...never heard something so ludicrous!" Wily sputtered in disbelief. "What were the hunters doing while such a maverick was on the loose?"_

_"Doing as they were created to do, old friend." An elder woman with long, white hair in a pony tail answered the enraged member. She, like Thomas, Wily, and Cain, appeared much younger than they really were, with hardly any wrinkles visible on their body. Her lips were curled into a cynical smirk. Claire was the name this one went by._

_"What useless scraps!" Wily shook his head, infuriated further by her words. "To think that they would amount to nothing when the largest threat decides to present itself...and to make matters even worse, the problems usually arise from their own ranks!"_

_"All in the course of a week." Another woman of the council added, looking to the sight of Terra through the windows behind Thomas. Her hair was gray, shoulder length, and curly. They addressed her as Rebecca. "First Purifier Juno, then Trigger."_

_The youngest of the council members, a woman by the name of Veronica with raven hair, and eyes just a dark, spoke, "MED's reports addressed nothing that could have possibly given us an explanation for Trigger's sudden actions against the EDEN." She closed her eyes and looked to the side with a grim expression. "So many precautionary methods are taken into consideration when we manufacture these reploids...and for what?"_

_"The system has too many flaws!" Wily barked. "This is why we've gone through such lengths to correct them with the new generation series."_

_"The Gemini series may have some flaws, however, it is far more dependable than your project, Wily." Rebecca snapped at the elder man._

_"Are you mad?" Wily whipped around to face her. "The Master, is now dead because of the Gemini series!"_

_"I've met with Trigger on a few occasions. Enough to understand that there was more to his actions than most of us care to realize."_

_"Are you insinuating that this was not an act against mankind?"_

_"Sera informed us that The Master was behaving oddly before the incident came to pass. It wouldn't be entirely off to assume that his behavior had some sort of connection with Trigger's decision."_

_"Nonsense!" Wily looked to the rest of the members. "The Master would not sentence himself to his own death willingly. The very thought is preposterous! He was the key to mankind's future! Why would he throw that away?"_

_"I'm sure that he didn't." Rebecca retorted._

_Wily scowled at her. "...What are you rambling about, woman?"_

_"Listen, you stubborn fool." Her words made Wily's left eye twitch quite noticeably. "Commander Trigger and The Master were close friends-"_

_"A reploid and a human," Wily cut her off, stifling a laugh as he went on, "Friends? Your head is filled with delusions."_

_Rebecca ignored him, "-Our answers lie within finding Trigger. Let us not jump to conclusions."_

_Thomas cleared his throat, "Rebecca...as much as I truly want to believe that, even if that were the case, Mistress Yuna has confirmed the date of Trigger's final moments in activity. He perished in his engagement with the abhorrent mother unit, Mistress Sera."_

_"That...that cannot be..." A horrified expression flashed across Rebecca's face briefly._

_"Your case holds no support." Wily shot at her._

_"Is there a body to confirm this?" Rebecca questioned, unwilling to accept._

_"No." Cain answered her, though his tone didn't sound very reassuring. "It's very likely that the body was incinerated in the explosion caused by the overload in the main drive of the buster unit. A sudden outward charge of that much plasma energy would have anything nearby cease to exist within seconds of the explosion, no question."_

_"Trigger is a product of manufacture from the 'Command Class' of the Gemini series." Rebecca stood from her seat. "He's based off data compiled from remnants of the legendary reploid soldier, X. With that in mind, assuming that a missing body can bring confirmation of his death would be a mockery to everything that Ciel's research has brought to the program; no, to the very colony! His regeneration capabilities even reach far above that of Nero, and the first commander was reported, yesterday, to have survived a point blank, charged plasma blast from Trigger's buster model!"_

_"Rebecca..." Veronica reached out a hand to calm her._

_"Veronica, Trigger's buster unit is based off the very same model that the legendary scientist, Thomas Light, constructed X with, correct?"_

_"Remnants, Rebecca-"_

_"Still quite similar to the original in every way, am I right?"_

_"According to Ciel's data research...yes...h-however, you must consider the state that Trigger must have been in at the time of the explosion. He engaged a mother unit in a full out, death match. The possibilities of him coming out of it unscathed...or capable of surviving an explosion of that magnitude after a level of that combat is-there's just no getting around a fatality."_

_"The facts are laid out before you, Rebecca, and yet you continue to stay blind?" Wily scolded her. _

_Rebecca opened her mouth, but she could come up with nothing more to back up her argument any further. Seeing this, Wily saw it as his chance to suggest what was to happen next._

_"My dear friends," Wily glanced at Rebecca, "including you, Rebecca. I think that if anything, there is one undeniable fact that we can gather from this incident: The reploids that we depend on to protect us are the very ones we need protection from. Yes, while Ciel may have been a magnificent scientist, she was blinded by her infatuation with the legendary reploid, Zero. Her choice to continue giving these cybernetic humanoids free will through the Gemini project is proof of that!"_

_"Wily!" Veronica shot up from her seat at his remark. "Take that back, old man! Ciel's contribution to humanity far overshadows your development of the Mother and Servitor units. Whatever stories were told about her, they do nothing to disgrace her, and I won't have you try and change that!"_

_Wily continued to talk over the young council member, "It is my suggestion, that in order to keep history from repeating itself on Elysium or Terra for that matter, we do away with the reploids and put the Servitor series into service all over the colony."_

_"Wily..." Cain suddenly decided to become an active participant in the meeting. "I don't like what you are suggesting."_

_"You mean to have the reploids eliminated..." Thomas's expression darkened. "You may as well call it genocide, Wily."_

_"They're all Mavericks, Thomas. If not now, then weeks or months from now! The servitor units are completely subservient to our commands."_

_"They're puppets, Wily."_

_"Exactly." Wily replied with a nod. "You would have it any other way?"_

_"What you have in mind is immoral in every way, Wily." Rebecca took her stand again. "You can't just have the reploids replaced. They've willingly been of service to humans since before Ciel had the Elysium project started."_

_"You'll see. The servitors will do the job themselves." Wily declared._

_**...A Month Later**__**...**_

_The servitor series was finally mass produced under Wily's supervision. As opposed to the two prototypes that accompanied the mother units, they lacked the components that gave reploids free will. They lacked compassion...a conscience...mercy._

_They were sent to engage the reploids and do away with them by force. _

_The hunter unit was placed as top priority in the brutal operation._

_The Reploids refused to go down without a fight._

_Records of the turn out of conflict are not present within the main colony archives._

_**...Not that there was anyone to record them in the first place**__**...

* * *

**_

**_[ The Bonne Airship ]_**

Trigger looked up from the the diagram he was sketching when there was a knock at the door to his sleeping quarters. After scribbling a few words next to a specific part of the diagram and drawing a line, he told his visitor that the door was unlocked. Tron poked her head in...

"So what did you want?" The lovely pirate asked, stepping into the room before kicking the door closed behind her.

"Thanks for coming, Tron." Megaman offered her a nod of appreciation. "I just need to ask a favor of you."

"Yeah, yeah..." Tron felt herself falling victim to a blush at the purifier's gratitude. It was a nice change from how they usually interacted with each other despite the fact that, technically this wasn't _her_ Megaman. At least not until he regained his memories again. "Make it quick though. I'm making a few adjustments to the Gustaff."

"The Gustaff?" Megaman quirked a brow to emphasize his curiosity.

Tron blinked a few times before slapping a hand against her forehead lightly. "Oh, right...you wouldn't remember it, would you?" Just then she had a wonderful idea. The former commander could swear that an aura of light just radiated from behind her head. Of course, he wouldn't tell her that her silhouette had a disturbing resemblance to a horned demoness.

"Hey, since you're not really doing much, why don't you join me in my engineering station?" Megaman looked as though he was about to decline so she reached out and grabbed his left arm and pulled. Unfortunately, the weight of his armor made it impossible for her to get him to budge. Not that it really did much to discourage her, in fact, her head was just full of ideas now.

"Aren't you uncomfortable in that armor?" Tron inquired, narrowing one eye playfully.

"Well, I'm actually used to it." Trigger replied. _On Elysium, I don't think I ever had time to really change into civilian clothes. _

"That's no good." The pirate shook her head with a bit of disapproval. "Take those off. I'll get you some of Teisel's clothes so you can get comfortable around the ship."

"But..." He stopped when Tron shot a glare at him. Women...one of the commander's greatest weaknesses. Their smiles could catch him off guard, their tears could fill him with guilt, and the complexity of their feelings simply astounded him. Perhaps that was why he'd been so compliant to stay the night over at the flutter before he took action to get away from Sera and Yuna. Roll's tears...her smile were the forces that held him still. Maybe that explained the reason that Trigger held a particular fear for Sera deep within the back of his mind. She represented everything he could never grasp to understand. And perhaps that was why he couldn't let go of his final moments with _'her'_, no matter how hard he tried.

_Alia...was that really our final good-bye to each other? Will I never see your caring expression again? This must be my punishment...for pushing you away. _

"You'll just do it, alright?" Tron told him, wagging a finger at him like a mother to her child. It was one of the bad habits that grew on her, being surrounded with her own _'children'_ all the time. They always needed to be kept in line. "As long as you're part of this crew, you'll act like a part of it."

Megaman studied her face for a moment before their was a brief upward twitch on the left side of his lips. "Very well." He finally told her, much to her joy, but...

"What did we tell you about talking like that? A simple 'fine', or 'alright' would do."

"It bothers you?"

"It just seems so...wrong to hear you talk that way."

"I'll assume that's because of my alter ego."

Tron let out an aggravated sigh at his question and simply turned to leave, turning the knob to the door to open it. "Just strip down to your underwear, got it? I'll be back with your clothes." She nearly choked when a particular image of the purifier came to mind. "U-Um, they might be a little big on you, but they'll do until we buy you some of your own clothes."

"...Alright." Trigger nodded.

"Great!" With that, she left, closing the door behind her.

He stared at the door for a moment before he looked down at his own appearance and realized that his armor was still showing proof of his deeds on Archhalo island. Some scrubbing would do it some good. "Tron Bonne," He said her name to no one in particular as he reached under his left shoulder plate to start disengaging his armor, "She doesn't seem so bad at all. Her choice of profession does leave much to desire, though. If I can keep her and Teisel focused on acquiring their money through peaceful means, I should get through this without much mishap."

_There was another knock at is door..._

"Tron?" Megaman looked to the door questioningly.

"Nope!" Teisel opened the door and popped his head in with his usual goofy grin. Well, at least until he realized that the former commander was undressing himself, which brought up the question, "You were expecting Tron, undressing like that?"

"Yes." Trigger answered him innocently.

...

...

..._Silence..._

"WHAT?" Teisel barged in, closing the door behind him. "ARE YOU TWO SICK?"

"What do you mean?" The former commander's eyes widened slightly when Teisel grabbed him by the shoulders and rocked him back and forth causing his arms to rattle along limply.

"You two are still, too, young!" The green clad pirate cried out hysterically. "Y-You haven't even asked for my blessing!"

"F-For w-w-wha-a-a-t?" His voice bounced with each rock.

"Don't try to pull that on me, _Blue Boy!_ I wasn't born ye-"

_**SPAKOW!**_

"...Teisel..." Tron growled fearsomely, her right hand still pressed painful against the back of her brother's head from the karate chop she delivered him. "What are you doing to Megaman?"

"Pr...Protecting...you." Teisel managed to answer her, tears welling up at the sides of his red, prosthetic eyes, as unusual as that might have been.

"From what?" Tron questioned, pressing the side of her hand harder against the sore spot she made on the back of his head.

"Bad...d-decisions."

_Tron's eyes gleamed dangerously... _

_...and Teisel found himself smacking the wall across from the door to Megaman's room once she kicked him out violently._

Trigger regarded the fuming girl curiously. "Tron?"

She turned around slowly to face him, a sweat drop hanging from the side of her forehead in classic form. "Yeah?"

"I'm to blame for that, aren't I?"

"No, no, no!" Tron waved his worries away quickly with a forced smile before it dropped from her face to reveal her actual frown. "My older brother just overreacts sometimes."

"That was-"

"You'll get used to it." She assured him quickly before he could continue with the subject any further.

* * *

**_[ Shifting our attention to the Flutter ]_**

"Oooh." Roll's eyes suddenly went wide with fright when a chill crept up her back from out of nowhere. The wrench in her hand nearly slipped away from her grip and fell to the ground, but she regained her focus before that could happen. Still, she didn't like the way that felt. Looking away from her work on the adjustments to the engine of her precious airship, the blonde engineer heaved a sigh as she polished off some of the oil on her forehead with her left forearm, only managing to leave a smudge in the process.

"Megaman..." She said the name of her best friend with her eyes cast to the metallic floor underneath her feet. The sheet of rust that surrounded Roll suddenly felt rather displeasing to her senses. "...why'd you have to go and get yourself stuck with Tron? I would have gladly gotten you away from Sera if you just asked..." The idea of her and the blue hero together, on the run from Barrel and the others, suddenly started to seem rather romantic in her mind. It was something she would far prefer over what she was experiencing now. What was he doing over on the Bonnes ship? A few days had passed already. That meant that he must have already slept there...eaten there...showered there. Did that make Megaman a pirate, then?

_Nooooo! _Roll inwardly groaned as she stamped her feet erratically, shaking her fists up and down in horror. _Megaman would never become an air pirate! He'd never stoop so low as to pillage towns!_

"Issues?" Roll squeaked when a voice unexpectedly called out to her. Startled, she slowly looked to the side to find Mistress Yuna leaning against the wall beside the door to the engine room. A blush started to burn the blonde engineer's cheeks. How long had she been spying on her? Did she see all of that?

"Oh..um, Yuna..." Roll addressed her awkwardly, but by no means, in an unfriendly manner. She had already gotten past her supposed grudge against the gentle mother unit. She had been the reason that her mother was still alive today, and she appreciated that immensely. There was just no way to measure the amount of gratitude that she owed the woman. The only thing that put a little damper on that was Yuna's close bond to Sera. No matter how you looked at it, both mother units were practically like sisters in a sense, and they behaved that way, too. Yuna would tease Sera, talk with her, and even go so far as to greet her with a hug in the morning. Sure, Sera wouldn't return her hugs, but she sometimes blushed under Yuna's constant teasing, and their conversations could go on for hours...even if Yuna did most of the talking.

"I just figured that I'd come down and check on you." Yuna told her with a warm smile, pushing off the wall to approach her. "I can see that you're pretty dedicated to your work."

"I take pride in it." Roll managed a grin, twirling the wrench in her hand until it looked like a mini-helicopter propeller, all while keeping her eyes on the mother unit. "This ship has been with me most of my life. She's my home."

"Wow." Yuna stroked her chin, observing the the engine with interest. Roll looked on as the mother unit took a closer inspection of the pressure gauges and couldn't help but wonder what caught her eye.

"Um..." Roll sub-consciously reached for her hat as she leaned over beside Yuna. "...Something wrong?"

"Can you hand me your wrench for a second?" Yuna held out her hand, her eyes never leaving the gas pressure valve that was trembling as if it would pop open with a howl.

Roll hesitated for a moment. She didn't really take too well for others to touch the engine of her ship. It was just an engineer's thing, but...Yuna didn't seem like the type to make mistakes, so, "S-Sure...I guess." She handed it over.

"Thank you." Yuna grinned before going to work on the valve, turning in measured decrements until she came to a stop and crouched down again to get a look at the gauge. The engine stopped wheezing and the light tremors on the flutter disappeared in almost an instant. It was enough to let the Roll's jaw hang for a moment, but she closed it quickly before Yuna could study her expression.

Still, Roll could only point at the pressure valve before she actually made an effort to speak. "How...did you know exactly..." The blonde engineer trailed off trying her best to recover before she gave the mother unit the impression that she was too speechless to conjure a complete thought.

Yuna saved her from the embarrassment. "Oh, that?" The mother unit giggled. "Machines talk to me."

_Roll's eyes twinkled with admiration..._

The gentle mother unit grinned mischievously before she added, "Well, not literally, though."

"Oh..." Roll deflated a bit. "That would have been pretty cool."

"Back when Sera and I were still on Elysium with Megaman, I made a few friends with some of the engineers and mechanics on the colony and they were nice enough to let me have some hands on experience. I liked it so I started to read up on it when I was bored."

"Colony engineers?" Roll clasped her hands together fondly. "It must have been so awesome to work with them."

"Yeah," Yuna chuckled, "Well, sometimes they shooed me away when I lingered around too long. They took their jobs pretty seriously, and compared to their skills and talents, I'm still just a novice."

"You seem pretty good to me." Roll told her with a good natured smirk. "Probably on a much higher level than I am."

Yuna patted her shoulder. "Hardly."

"Hm?" The lovely engineer blinked.

"Sure, I might be able to do maintenance, but you're a genius at all things that relate to this sort of stuff. I've seen all the great inventions you've made for Megaman in the past. I'm sure that without them, he wouldn't have fared too well on the colony."

Roll clutched the hat on the top of her head and looked away bashfully. "It really was...nothing. Megaman's still capable of so much even without my help."

"I'm sure he would disagree." Yuna told her.

"Yeah...well, he's not around to have a say in this conversation...in more ways than one, you could say."

"He'll come back in due time."

"I sure hope so." Roll mumbled. "It's not the same around here without him."

"Yeah..." Yuna's voice seemed to become distant as though she was falling back into old memories. It was at that moment that something finally became pretty apparent to Roll Caskett. This woman must have been friends with Megaman when they lived on Elysium. That being noted, she'd known Megaman far longer than she could have ever hoped. The question was, what was the nature of their friendship?

"You seem to have fond memories of him..." Roll boldly began to pry.

Yuna blinked a few times. "What was that?"

"Megaman," The engineer gripped her left her behind her back, "You two were friends, right?"

"Yes. In a sense."

"What do you mean?"

"The way things were done on Elysium were pretty restricted when it came to reploids, and the new series of androids."

"How so?"

"The council of _EDEN _made an effort to keep us from becoming too familiar with most reploids. They really just wanted Sera and I to interact with the humans on the colony. In Sera's case, she usually kept close to studying political figures in the council rather than interact with normal civilians. On some occasions they allowed us to observe the production process of the servitor series and interact with the newly manufactured ones. We didn't get to seem them again until they were _'Educated'_."

"So you guys were kept apart." Roll reasoned, crossing her arms with a hint of disgust at the way things were handled on the colony.

"In a nutshell." Yuna nodded. "Although there were times that I ignored the rules and went on strolls in the reploid district of the main city. That was where I met Megaman on one of his daily patrols with his fellow commander." Her expression darkened for a moment. "Of course, it was Sera's first time meeting him in person as well. I fear that it might have been my fault that their odd relationship began."

"...Sera broke the rules with you?" The engineer was had at accepting that.

"True, she seems like the type to value order and rules, and all of that serious stuff, but Sera did have a bit of a personality, as surprising as that might sound to you." There was an implied jab to Roll in her words and she caught it.

"I'm sorry. It's just-"

"I know, I know." Yuna held a hand out to stop her from apologizing. "Sera was pretty subtle about, I'll admit. She told me that she only accompanied me to ensure that I wouldn't go off an make mischief. She even insisted that we bring along Geetz, and Gatz to enhance the illusion. Anyway, that was our first meeting with Megaman. From that point on I always bothered him."

"Bothered him?"

"As opposed to the Megaman you knew, everything was a serious matter to the one on Elysium. When I accompanied him on patrols he kept on trying to make up reasons for me to leave him be, but I naturally ignored all of them, saying that it was my choice to stay with him. In time he began to see me as more than his superior and we got along just well. He'd accept my presence far more easily when I popped up on his patrols, and he even escorted me to places in the reploid district so the council members would place the blame on him whenever they sent out Geetz and Gatz to find me."

"He sounds like he was really nice." Roll finally giggled.

Yuna laughed, "Oh, he was too nice, you could say. Sometimes you could say he was pretty naive about certain things, too. I made a habit of teasing him all the time to the point that it annoyed him on some occasions."

**_[ Flashback to Elysium Memoirs ]_**

Every hunter that she passed on her way down the hall to the chamber of command either dropped whatever they were holding in their hands, or stood still like a deer doing its best not to attract the attention of a rifleman. It didn't bother her in the least, however. She expected as much of a reaction when she first entered the Hunters HQ. The receptionists at the front desk almost missed a beat in their fervent typing when they saw her,and some of the spotters nearly dropped their mission briefings to the hunters on the field to simply stare at her in disbelief. After all, it wasn't everyday that reploids were able to actually meet one of the two _'Mother Units' _that the EDEN council held in such high regard over them that they could have been viewed as goddesses in comparison.

Yuna simply nodded to all of the hall statues that had appeared before her as though it was nothing more than an everyday thing for her to make public appearance, which was technically true since she made an unhealthy habit of sneaking away from the main building to go on about her own activities. When she reached the chamber of command she was met by four different corridors to choose.

"...Oh boy." The mother unit sighed. "This is going to take a while." She was about to turn back when suddenly, she heard two girlish voices echo from the center corridor to the left. She originally intended to just see their reactions when they saw her until she heard a familiar name get mentioned in the middle of the conversation.

_"Um, I think Trigger should be with Nero in the lounge." _Iris told Alia, becoming visible as they turned the corner of the corridor and started heading her way. At first they had not even noticed her, going aong with their conversation.

"Probably just laughing at my _silly antics_ behind my back again." Alia said with sarcasm, massaging her right shoulder as she walked on beside her friend.

Iris stifled a laugh, holding a hand to her mouth before saying, "Well, the way you took down the mechaniloid earlier was pretty original, you have to admit."

Alia shut her eyes in embarrassment. "D-Don't remind me..."

"I mean, it tripped on you and fell into one of the waste vents-"

"Atatatatatatata!" Alia waved a hand frantically to shut her up.

"-Screaming all the way down until the compactor squashed it to death." Iris finished with a teasing grin. "I don't think any of us could top that."

"I don't think anyone would want to top the humiliation."

"It got the job done." Iris patted Alia on the back cheerfully.

"It wasn't even intentional!" The blonde reploid moaned woefully.

_"Hi."_

_Iris and Alia stopped when their conversation got interrupted to find Yuna waiting up ahead for them..._

_...They turned into stone statues._

Trigger leaned against the wall as Nero deposited some money into the E-Quench machine to get them both an E-can. Nero stood straight when he got both cans out of the dispenser and tossed Trigger one from afar before popping his own open to chug it down.

"...You know..." Trigger began, popping his own can open. "...I don't think I've ever heard a mechaniloid scream before."

Nero almost choked on his drink. "Ahack!" Nero coughed before grinning at his friend. "Well...ahem...Alia tends to make the impossible...possible sometimes."

"She took it out without the assistance of her buster cannon." Trigger commented in genuine amazement. "Unheard of..."

"Isn't that, technically, her first kill?" Nero inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't think it qualifies." Trigger shook his head. "If that was the case, you could say that she ranks higher in the amount of kills than you do."

"Erm..." Nero blinked a few times.

"...Yeah." Trigger nodded.

_**"..."**_

_**"PFFT!" **_Both Nero and Trigger did their best not to burst out laughing. This had to be one of the rare occasions that the blue commander actually found humor in violence. Only Alia could pull that off. _**"Aha! Ahack! Koff!"**_ This went on for a few minutes, Trigger and Nero choking on their E-drinks, until the door to the lounge hissed open to reveal Iris and Alia...and Yuna?

Trigger wiped his mouth quickly. "Mistress Yuna?"

"Her..." Nero said nothing more.

Alia went on to explain, "She was here looking for..." She trailed off when she realized their were drops of their drinks dripping from their chins. Now, how did that happen unless-

"You guys were laughing about me, weren't you?" Alia asked, deadpanned.

_**"No." **_Both commanders answered her. It was pretty convincing until Nero couldn't hold in his coughs anymore.

"Friendly atmosphere here." Yuna could not help but smile at both commanders in one of their rare moments off guard. On patrol it was a feat just to get a smirk from them, or a general reaction. Her words drew Trigger's attention again and the second commander approached her after recycling his can back into the E-Quench machine.

"Why are you here, Yuna? I can understand outside, but entering HQ to meet me is just pushing it a bit."

"Nice to see you too, Trigger." The mother unit smiled at him.

Trigger sighed. It was hard to stay serious around her. "What is it now?"

New statues took their place in the hallway as the second commander accompanied Yuna to the elevator. Some of the other hunters that saluted Trigger let their hands and mouths fall when they realized that he was in the company of the mother unit.

"Do you take pleasure in this sort of thing?" Trigger asked Yuna, noticing that everyone who froze behind them had yet to resume their duties. They just continued to stare as they walked away into the distance.

"How'd you notice?" Yuna giggled as two conversing reploids died out in mid-sentence at the sight of her to drop their E-cans to the floor.

"A lucky guess." The commander replied sarcastically. To his relief, the elevator doors opened as soon as he finger came in contact with the button to go up. That would save him some more unwanted attention. When they both entered, he pressed the button for the main lobby an leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

Yuna stood across from him with her hands folded along her lap. "So who were those two girls I met?"

"They were our field partners."

"Which one was yours?" Yuna winked.

The nature of her wink going right over Trigger's head, he replied, "Alia, the blonde one with the pink uniform." He referred to the attire that they dressed in when they were off duty. For males it was a black uniform with a jacket and slacks. For females it was a white uniform with a jacket more tailor for their curvaceous figure and skirts that stopped above the knees. The hunters in the commanding ranks wore uniforms with colors that matched their armor sets. It was to set them apart from the common hunters.

"A close partnership?" Yuna asked.

"Yes. We work well together." Trigger nodded.

"That's not what I meant." The mother unit smirked.

Trigger blinked, "What do you..." He trailed off when he understood what she was getting at. "Its n-nothing that intimate i-if that is what you're referring to. We're friends, nothing more. Anything more than that would just get in the way."

"You've seriously never thought about it?" Yuna tilted her head to the side questioningly.

"Did you come just to torment me?"

"You know it." She replied with another wink. The elevator opened and they both stepped out to find-

_"I predicted as much." _Trigger and Yuna stopped in their tracks when they found Sera standing outside the elevator with Geetz and Gatz behind her, waiting for them. _"If you took your hunting as seriously as this escorting service, I might have a different impression of you, Trigger."

* * *

_

"You mentioned earlier that Megaman and Sera had an odd relationship." Roll brought Yuna out of her reminiscence of the past when she reached that point. If there was one particular subject that she could not deny a fascination with, it was the dynamics between those two. From the few stories she had already heard from the gentle mother unit so far, she could at least gather that they were never on friendly terms with each other in the past, which was why she was particularly intrigued by Sera's current behavior. "What did you mean by that?"

"Um, that?" Yuna seemed to tense at that subject. Apparently, there was something about it that she wasn't very comfortable about. This only served to nourish the blonde engineer's fascination. "I never quite understood it myself. I could only guess that Sera's initial nature towards him was out of envy before it started to get a tad bit more malicious than that."

"Envy?" Now, even Roll was disturbed.

"Most of it had a lot to do with '_The Master'_, but somewhere along the way I started to get the impression that Sera had begun to obsess over Megaman more than even she realized." The gentle mother unit glanced at the door to the engine room.

"What's the matter." Roll nearly jumped when Yuna had turned her head so quickly. "Is someone coming?"

"No..." Yuna shook her head. "I don't think so." So she assured Roll, yet the blonde engineer couldn't help but feel a little cautious when Yuna lowered her voice with her next words. "I remember finding Sera searching through the hunter archives for information on Megaman once. That's when she began to exhibit some odd behavior. Suddenly, she started taking more frequent leaves from the main building than I had. She always made sure to bring Geetz along, however, something told me that even he wasn't entirely sure of the nature her activities."

"What was she doing?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I do remember Megaman mentioning that he started to run into her, more often than not, on his patrols. She didn't start conversations with him like I did, though. Not early on, anyway."

"...Stalking him?" Roll felt shivers run down her spine. Imagining Sera, poking her head out of a dark alley to spy on Megaman from a distance was like something out of a horror movie.

Yuna hesitated for a moment before replying, "You, um, might call it that. Though I said she didn't exactly start conversations, she did talk to him."

"Huh?" Roll blinked.

"She would criticize him."

"...Okay."

"After a while, Megaman started to respond back instead of ignoring her."

"The way you say it sounds kind of creepy."

Yuna's expression darkened further making Roll want to think back on why she even asked about the subject. "Then their conversations began. Things started to go downhill from there between them."

"How so?"

"Even the council began to realize that there was something personal going on between Sera and Trigger. The very mention of his name tended to get very _rare_ reactions out of her, hints of emotion and odd responses to questions that had anything to do with him. Naturally, they took countermeasures to put an end to it by placing a seat in the EDEN council for her beside _'The Master'._ She became his personal escort."

Roll quirked a an eyebrow, "Wasn't '_The Master' _who she was after all along?"

"Yes." Yuna nodded. "But that only made things worse, I fear. By being closer to _'The Master'_ she had more time to reflect on the differences between Megaman and herself. You see, Megaman and '_The Master' _were close friends so they always talked with each other. Sera wanted to take Megaman's place, but she failed miserably. The air between them both felt strained and awkward, where as Megaman and '_The Master' _were far more compatible in their views and personalities. That naturally led to _'The Master' _favoring him over her."

"This is where it goes further downhill, right?"

"Exactly. Sera had more clearance since the council of EDEN made her a member. She started to take advantage of it, deciding Megaman's missions and ensuring that he would get those with the highest chance of the engagement with the maverick resulting in a fatality, however, Megaman was well known for completing missions without resorting to the death of his targets. I thought that was where it would stop, but that only pushed her to take a different approach."

...

...

_"It started a week ago." MED told Yuna, leaning against the rail to the balcony outside her private office. "Mistress Sera came in one day and just requested Trigger's psychological profile, right out of the blue."_

_Yuna narrowed her eyes in suspicion standing at the door to re-enter the office, "For what? Did she give you any reason at all?"_

_"Not exactly." MED replied, adjusting her glasses. "She simply told me that I had nothing to worry about in regard to the confidentiality agreement with EDEN. She claimed that she had the clearance to do it."_

_"...Sera..." Yuna bowed her head._

_"Sera!" Yuna called to the cold mother unit from across the hall as she was about to enter the meeting chamber with 'The Master'. Sera came to a halt and turned around slowly to regard her._

_"What is it, Yuna?" Sera asked with her usual dead pan expression._

_"What are you after?"_

_"...What are you talking about." _

_~A hesitation from Sera? That definitely meant something was up.~_

_"I know about what you've been doing in the clinic."_

_"What of it?"_

_"Tell me why you're so pin pointed on Trigger all the time."_

_"Curiosity."_

_...  
_

_...  
_

"God, that's disturbing." Roll felt her hand tighten around her wrench. It appeared there was more to Mistress Sera than she initially wanted to know. All of this background information was beginning to send warning signals everywhere.

"Then came the beginning of the last chapter of their odd relationship. That's when things clearly got violent between them. I'll never forget that mission at the _'Library of Elders'. _From Juno's taunting, to Iris's pleads for Nero to bail Megaman out of Sera's twisted game. Everything about the scene was burning with intensity."

"Game? What game?"

"Well, originally the objective of the mission was to have the maverick threat eliminated. In other words, the hunters were to kill Commander Juno and those under his commander, but when the council heard that Juno had managed to get so far into the library, they dispatched Sera and I to investigate the matter ourselves. At that point we were to bring Juno back_ alive_."

"So what happened?"

"Sera decided that she wanted Megaman to carry out Juno's execution before our very eyes."

"But..."

"Megaman and the others didn't know about the change of orders at the time. At the moment it was a command from a superior, and Megaman was bound by his duty as a hunter to follow it. Sera kept on ordering, urging him on to do it, and I'll admit...I waited to see what would happen. I wanted Sera to see for herself how much stronger he was than she ever gave him credit for, and he didn't disappoint. He flat out refused her, and Sera had taken her defeat. See, had he delivered the killing blow, not only would that have been a victory for her because she would have finally succeeded in having him go against his own code of honor, but she would have stolen away his freedom. The EDEN council wouldn't see the execution as a command from Sera, but rather as an act of defiance against the council. He would have been severely punished if he obeyed."

"...What an evil...person."

"It's a relief that she finally got over her grudge against him."

Roll stared at Yuna silently for a moment. "...Are you sure she still isn't obsessed with him?"

"...Now that might be a problem."

* * *

"That's pretty impressive." Megaman complimented Tron on the fifth mech that she showed off to him. The girl had a lot of time on her hands, that much had become quite obvious to the former commander. That, and the lovely pirate was a genius. She was capable of doing alone what he'd seen squads of mechanics work hard to accomplish. He reached into the side pocket of the white lab coat that she had him wear and slipped out the diagram that he was sketching in his room earlier before she dragged him out.

"What's that?" Tron adjusted her glasses when she saw the paper clutched in his hand.

"That favor I wanted to ask you for." Megaman handed the paper to her outstretched hand. "After the whole ordeal I had to go through with your nemesis, Glyde, I realized that the need for combat may arise in the least expected circumstances, even on this planet. I'd like to be prepared next time."

"...Hm." Tron inspected it closely before shrugging her shoulders. Most of the parts that he labeled on the diagram were things she never even heard of. Sure, some of the materials were present somewhere on the planet, but that was the issue. Just because they were somewhere, it didn't mean she was exactly sure where they were. "...I could build another buster cannon for you, but it won't be this exact model. This plasma drive that you're asking for...that sort of technology doesn't really exist anymore. Maybe..."

"Returning to Elysium is something I'd rather not attempt." Megaman told her once she trailed off to imply it. "I'll settle for whatever you can build for me." He offered her a small smile. "I'm pretty sure that with what you're capable of, it should come off as more than efficient." His words brought pleasant tingles to the girl.

"Heh." Tron flicked the tip of her nose cockily, chuckling. "Don't you worry about that! When I'm done, those reaverbots won't know what hit them!"

"I'll look forward to it."

"But..." Tron slipped off her glasses and left the diagram on her work desk. "It's about time that we grabbed a bite to eat. Teisel and Bon must be starving."

"What's the selection?" Megaman asked, following Tron to the exit of the work garage.

"Ever had cream of broccoli?" Tron grinned at him, flipping off the lights.

"...Sounds good."

"It'll blow your mind." Tron boasted proudly, at least until she saw the blue hero shiver. Then she started to feel a little nervous. "Um, you okay?"

Trigger fought the urge to shake his head. Just mentioning the word _'mind'_ brought him back to a certain meeting he had with Sera. "I'm fine." He lied to her, running one hand through his unruly, brown hair. " I just felt shivers for some reason." _I can't let my mental defenses down or she'll try to break in again..._

"That's your body telling you to eat."

"If you say so."

* * *

_**...Suspended Animation: RELEASED...**_

_**...Data Upload: COMPLETE...**_

_**...Energy Upload: COMPLETE...**_

_**...System Reactivation: STARTING UP...**_

_**[-PROCESSING-PROCESSING-PROCESSING-PROCESSING-PROCESSING-]**_

_**-LOGIN: Master System...Shutdown...EDEN...Shutdown...ELDER System...Activated...**_

_**[MAIN OBJECTIVE: Eliminate Threats to Natural Balance of Terra]**_

_**MEANS:**_

_**Carbon Reinitialization**_

_**THREATS:**_

_**[EDEN ARCHIVES...Uploading...]**_

_**...  
**_

_**RISK RATING: S**_

_**PRIORITY: POSSIBLE TO CONTROL  
**_

_**Name: SERA**_

_**CLASS: MOTHER CLASS**_

_**STATUS: Maverick**_

_**...  
**_

_**RISK RATING: S**_

_**PRIORITY: POSSIBLE TO CONTROL  
**_

_**NAME: YUNA**_

_**CLASS: MOTHER CLASS**_

_**STATUS: UNKNOWN**_

_**...  
**_

_**RISK RATING: SA**_

_**PRIORITY: SECURE OR DESTROY**_

_**NAME: TRIGGER**_

_**CLASS: PURIFIER CLASS-SECOND COMMAND HUNTER**_

_**STATUS: MAVERICK**_

_**[ **__**VIOLATIONS:**__** ]**_

_**SHUTDOWN OF EDEN**_

_**SHUTDOWN OF MASTER SYSTEM  
**_

_**RETIREMENT OF BUREAUCRATIC MODEL JUNO**_

_**MURDER OF EDEN COUNCIL MEMBER, THE MASTER**_

_**OVERRIDE OF CARBON REINITIALIZATION ATTEMPT AT MAIN GATE**_

_**CAUTION REQUIRED**_

_**...  
**_

_**...System Reactivation: COMPLETE...

* * *

**_

In the darkness of a dome like chamber there was a glint of light...

Smoke hissed from the source and the sound of a capsule opening echoed...

...A feminine figure stumbled out and arched its back, reaching up toward the heavens with clawing hands...

_"...Trigger...I've waited...far too long..." _Words dripped off her lips groggily.

_"..."_

_"..."  
_

_"...I thank you."  
_

_

* * *

_

**_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**

**_Chapter Twelve: Ciel_**

**_Legends Arc Three: Inflections_**


	12. The Calm

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc Three: Inflections_**

_By Traingham_

_**_______________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**_Episode Twelve: Ciel_**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

_"Here we are." _A lovely scientist with cerulean eyes and sandy, blonde hair inspected an unconscious gynoid that was lying down on an operation table at the center of the lab. She was a woman of moderate height, probably reaching close to five feet tall, with a slim frame from what could be seen under her large lab coat. One feature that caught the most attention was her face, which despite her age, still managed to retain a youthful quality. Some even dared to call her _'cute'_ with her button nose and curious eyes. Most of her hair was concealed under her pink helmet, though a few long bangs poked out over her face as well as her long ponytail. A visor stretched out over her eyes, sending her information through the lenses about her latest creation.

_"So this is the first reploid born from the Gemini Project..." _Her assistant, a girl younger than herself with hazelnut hair and chocolate eyes remarked as she took her place behind the blonde scientist. She was slightly taller than her by almost an inch. _"I'm a little curious, Ciel. Why did you choose for it to be a woman?"_

_"I'm not exactly sure myself." _Ciel answered her assistant, tapping a button on the side of her helmet to get a close up on one of the internal gears of the female reploid as her insides were still exposed. She was able to observed the artificial heart, the power generator, as well as other vital _'organs'_ that would allow her to live once she was activated. _"I just always felt it to be proper for a female to safeguard life. The womb is where it all began, after all. Wouldn't you say?"_

_"Yeah, but...she's practically, X, isn't she?"_

Ciel offered her assistant a smile in response. _"Well, I've already seen what a complete clone of X is capable of. I'd rather have a change of pace with this one."_

_"If you say so." _Her assistant grumbled. _"It would have been something though...to actually see the legendary reploid in the flesh. Even if it was a clone."_

_"Believe me..."_ Ciel held her hand back to gesture for her assistant to back away. _"You'd be eating those words if you experienced what I had. Now, lets check up on our precious knight, shall we?" _ The sandy haired scientist reached into the reploid's chest to switch her on and took a step back as she hummed to life. Gears started to move and glow eerily. Lights blinked and started moving along the circuits in an intricate network that was like nothing Ciel's assistant had ever seen before. It was simply magnificent, but goosebumps couldn't even describe what the girl felt crawling through her skin when the reploid's eyes filled with life. The dull gray had gradually been filled with brilliant emerald life, much like jewels caught in rays of light.

The female reploid didn't move at first. Instead, her eyes swiveled over to Ciel with a cold, emotionless stare for a few tense seconds before a hint of recognition filled them. It was almost like watching a newborn child gaze at the face of its mother for the first time. _"Ciel...am I right?"_ The reploid's voice was vibrant and full of strength. That alone made her seem like a knight of a folklore.

_"That's right." _Ciel smiled at her daughter warmly. _"Can you sit up?" _ At the scientist's request, the reploid did as she was asked without the slightest of hesitation, her soft, raven hair settling around the frame of her face. That was a fairly comforting sign. Everything was going well as far as coordination, though that really couldn't be proven entirely until she was sent out on the field.

_"How are you feeling?" _Ciel asked, leaning over to lift the reploid's right arm so that she could inspect her joint. When she left it to relax so that she could inspect the other, she took a moment to get a look at her face to find a blank expression. Ciel giggled. _"Don't be shy to answer. If you feel uncomfortable in any way just tell me. I'd be glad to help you with anything."_

Her assistant crossed her arms and grinned. That was Ciel for you, always doing her best to place reploids in their comfort zone, even if they technically didn't have one yet. She did many things that other researchers and engineers found unorthodox. She asked reploids about their feelings, and personal opinions. She treated them like they were human.

_"I don't feel any abnormalities. System functions are normal. My internal processor is running smoothly."_ She paused to wiggle her fingers and toes. _"I have no complaints."_

_"Looks like we have a champ here."_ Ciel teased before she looked over her should at her assistant to wink. _"No complaints at all. I like her already."_

Her assistant winked back, _"Oh, she's just being polite. That is, unless, she's just dandy with being naked." _Her questioning tone made the reploid quite conscious of what she meant. Suddenly rose colored tints colored her creamy cheeks as she doubled over, using her arms as a means of covering her parts while she crossed her legs.

_"That...that's not what I meant at all."_

_"Oh, she's just teasing." _Ciel patted her daughter on the shoulder. _"Don't worry about that, we're all women here. That is, unless Professor Cain decides to walk in here like the pervert he is. Right, Maylu?" _Her question was received by her assistant with a playful wink.

_"Um..." _ The female reploid regarded Ciel with her big, green eyes, full of innocence and a surprising hint of amusement. The uneasiness in her was comforting to the two women for some odd, unexplainable reason. Perhaps it was because it made her seem vulnerable in a sense. _"I have a name, don't I?"_

_"Ah," _Ciel balled her left hand into a fist and knocked the side of her own head playfully with one eye closed_, "Sorry. How thoughtless of me....Aria is your name."_

_"Aria..." _The reploid echoed her mother. A moment later a cheerful smile crossed her lips. _"Aria....I think like that name very much."_

_**______________________________________**_

_**______________________________________________________________________________**_

**_The Bonne Airship_**

**_-------------------------------------------------------_**

"Lets see what's the buzz." Teisel said with a long yawn as he strode into the small living room of the airship with his green robe, and a mug of hot java in hand. He spotted the remote on top of the arm rest of the couch and swiped it before aiming at the television set and switching it on. Static scrambled across the screen for a few seconds and an early morning show came on. By the looks of the program, some of the servbots must have managed to convince Tron to let them get possession of the television set last night.

"Lesee..." Teisel flipped through the channels until he stopped at the news, and right one time, too. The intro music played in the background while the news reporters appeared over their names with their usual business smiles. Teisel did a few neck rotations and plopped down on the couch.

_"Good morning everyone, on this lovely Wednesday morning."_

_"And what a day Alex. Makes me want to get out and go to the beach!"_

_"Ah hah. As if we haven't seen enough breaking news."_

_"...."_

_"......"_

_"Whoa! Anyway, a lucky woman from Calbania island won the lottery yesterday."_

_"Really surprising. I don't recall any pharmaceutical or convenience stores being around there."_

_"Well, the world is a funny place, Marian. Its a funny place."_

"What are you watching?" Teisel flinched when Megaman's voice suddenly rang from behind him. The only time that ever happened was when he was having another one of his bad dreams, so have some sympathy. As many times as he's been blown sky high by the blue hero, its only natural that he'd develop some kind of complex regarding the purifier.

"O-oh." Teisel looked over his shoulder to find the blue bomber standing at the entrance to the room wearing a purple robe. Now, where did he get that from? "It's you, blue boy. I'm just watching the news."

"That is?"

"It's basically...like daily updates of what goes on around the world." Teisel explained as best he could. "That kind of stuff."

Megaman entered to take a seat beside the green robed gentleman. "Sounds very important."

"Um, yeah." Teisel shuffled away from him a bit. You know, just to be safe in case the purifier suddenly decided to snap and attack him without so much as a warning. Not that he was paranoid or anything, but you could never be too careful around the blue guy when you were a pirate and, well...okay, he was a little paranoid....maybe more than a little.

_".....yesterday when a pirate attack was foiled by the same young man that saved Kattelox."_

_"Megaman!"_

_"That's right, Marian. Keep your top on, for gods sake."_

_"....."_

_"....Whatever, Alex."_

"That's odd." Megaman blinked. "It looks like they forgot to mention you and Tron."

"It's much better that way. Believe me." Teisel assured the young man. "As long as we made out with the rewards, I really don't care if they forget to include us in the report."

"I question your decision to let that man go free, though."

"Oh, Glyde?" Teisel grinned goofily. "Well, I figured that as long as easy bait like him stuck around it would be easier for us to gather more loot in the near future. You always have to think ahead, Megaman!"

"...I think I understand what you mean."

"That's the Bonne way!" Teisel cackled triumphantly.

"But isn't that dangerous? Keeping a criminal around like him, I mean."

"Don't worry." The elder Bonne waved the former commander's worries off. "What's the worst he could possibly do? With all of the little toys you destroyed at that island, it'll be a while before he can even hold up a candy shop."

"If you say so." Megaman nodded. "So what plans have we for today?"

"All ready for work already?" Teisel grinned. "Don't rush yourself so much, blue boy. True masterminds wait for great opportunities! WAHAHAHA!" The former commander could only blink as Teisel suddenly broke out into maniacal laughter. Never a dull moment with this one, was there?

"Could you stop addressing me as, _blue boy_?"

"Huh?" Teisel died off in mid-laugh and regarded the blue hero with a disappointed expression. "Really? I mean, its really grown on me to be honest."

"It sounds silly."

"....Megaman, then?"

".............."

"..............."

"I suppose I might as well accept it by now." Megaman muttered in a low voice, turning away from the green, robed pirate. Just about everyone he's met so far called him by that silly name so he might as well just answer to it from now on. The only person that did call him by the name he preferred happened to be Sera, which...well, he could do without her very much.

"What was that?" Teisel raised an eyebrow, probably one of the only things he could do to express emotion as far as eye contact.

"Nothing."

"Coffee, then?" The pirate asked from way out of the blue.

Megaman stared at him for a while. "Wha..." He narrowed his eyes in confusion and cleared his throat, "What was that?"

"You don't know what coffee is?"

"I know what it is, but..."

"Yeah?" Teisel smiled.

"...That might not be a bad idea." At his reply, Teisel stood up and walked around the couch to leave for the kitchen, saying, "I'll fix you with a cup in a jiff."

"Odd, that one." The purifier thought aloud before turning his attention back to the television when the male reporter suddenly cried out dramatically, _**"Breaking news, everyone!"**_ The image then switched from him to another reporter that wasn't broadcasting from within the studio. From the looks of things, she was somewhere out in the open with palm trees dancing along with the wind behind her, and a few sea gulls crying out as they flew in the distance.

_"Hey, Alex! We're reporting live right here in the outskirts of the main city of Bohema island where some of the local diggers claim to have discovered the sudden appearance of an entrance to a ruins they have never explored before!"_

"The sudden appearance of an unexplored ruins?" Trigger mused, stroking his chin with curiosity. Something about that just didn't seem right. If he recalled correctly, certain ruins only resurfaced when high clearance, key functions were triggered within the special sub-ruins located around the planet, and the only individuals that were remotely capable of reaching the control panels within those heavily guarded sub-ruins were either him or the mother units. Any daring carbon would be wasting their time and chances at being present for a near future, so that was ruled out without so much as an afterthought. Those certain ruins homed very important secrets related to Elysium and the EDEN, but with the EDEN shutdown all of those functions should have gone completely unresponsive to any outside influences. Such security measures were integrated within the system with the idea of dangerous saboteurs in mind.

"So, if that's the case...."

_**_________________________**_

_**_________________________________________________________________________**_

_**__________________________**_

"....there is a very likely chance that the cause for this mysterious appearance is nowhere present outside of these unexplored ruins." Sera told Yuna over the commotion that the others were making as they listened on for more news in regard to the new ruins.

"Which could only mean that this isn't a break in attempt." Yuna concurred. "That's not very comforting at all. With the shutdown of the reaverbots I was originally under the impression that they lost function because the main directive in the EDEN was lost in the shutdown."

"They were manufactured long before the EDEN had originally been activated. They're under the directive of the Elder System."

"If that's the case, why aren't they active anymore?"

"Because they're meant to safeguard the secrets of Elysium from intruders." Sera answered Yuna rather vaguely. The gentle mother unit could have told her that herself if she wanted to. That didn't answer her question at all...or did it? She hated it when Sera wanted to play the part of riddle master.

"...There are no more secrets then?

Sera shook her head. "What secrets that are left are going to make themselves known on their own. The EDEN has been breached, and now the Elder system is going to clean up the mess by means of extermination."

Yuna gasped. "That island is in danger, then!"

"A likely conclusion." The cold mother unit nodded, her voice devoid of any shred of urgency. Sera was taking this disturbing news just fine for someone who was supposed to be in charge of regulating the system. Oh wait, but wasn't the Elder System technically doing its job? That still didn't matter! There were innocent, human lives at stake!

"Well, Sera?!" Yuna placed her hands on her hips as she directed an expectant look at her fellow unit, which Sera either paid no mind to or simply cared not to really acknowledge. God, she was so good at doing stuff like that when it had nothing to do with Trigger, but mention the blue reploid and _'Hold the frickin phone!' _they had to be on their feet and ready at a moments notice. If only she could put that sort of willingness into projects that would benefit to others.

"It goes without saying that we'll investigate." Sera made an unexpected reply. It was at that point that Yuna was about to jump for joy and hug her stoic sister until her head popped off like a champagne cork, but being that the readers were all sober, they probably knew that Sera had ulterior motives in mind. "Trigger may be caught in the middle of an identity crisis, however, there is no doubt in my mind that he'll be present for this as well."

Of course, Sera, had no qualms with announcing them out loud, and perhaps that was the reason that Yuna was in the process of developing a nervous tick. You know, the kind that caused her to strangle mother units that happened to be near her? And since Sera happened to be the only other one around most of the time...well....

"Your hands are twitching, Yuna." Sera observed, her eyes swiveling between said person's hands and lovely face in a cool fashion.

"I know."

"....."

"Well then." Yuna suddenly spoke up after a long silence to turn away from her cold counterpart. "I better go inform Roll and the others about the new plans. We wouldn't want Megaman to finish his investigation before we got there."

"No." Sera's stoic expression suddenly took on a darker tone, similar to her expression before her engagement with Trigger on Elysium. "We certainly wouldn't."

* * *

"I propose that we investigate these new ruins." Megaman presented his proposal in the small meeting room of the Bonne's airship. Teisel and Tron stared back at him from the other side of the rectangular table while some of the serv-bots wandered around the room aimlessly, folding paper plane to throw at each other and just fooling around in general. The former commander had gotten used to it already despite the fact that it was a totally different atmosphere to what he was used to. That being the orderly force of maverick hunters that had been under his command when he served under the Master System and the EDEN on Elysium.

"You know," Teisel unfolded his arms as he leaned over to Tron, "that's not such a bad idea at all! Imagine all of the treasure that hasn't been discovered yet!"

Tron stroked her chin with a look of concentration gracing her lovely features. It appeared that something was troubling the girl. Undoubtedly, it had something to do with the sudden appearance of the ruins in question. Two encounters with this sort of thing made one cautious. "Yeah...I get that, but something about this just feels really wrong, Teisel." She stole a glance at Megaman's face before looking to Teisel, and swore that she saw an expression flash across the purifier's face. That was a weird reaction. Maybe she it wasn't just a gut feeling after all. "So...I'm not really sure."

"Nonsense, Tron!" Teisel patted her against the back with a grin. "This is the chance of a life time! We put this off any longer and other pirates will be there before we even hit land."

"I know, I know, but..." Tron directed an uneasy look at the green clad pirate. Her brother could be a little difficult to control whenever he got riled up, and that was saying something when you considered that he was the oldest of the Bonnes. Tron turned her attention back to Megaman to find a curious expression on his face. It was a change from the serious look that had been a long time resident of his facial features ever since she met up with him at Kattleox. From the looks of it, he had something to say, but there was some hesitation.

"What is it?" Tron decided to bring it out of him before the purifier was left there to contemplate his next words any further. "Wanna say something?"

"About these ruins..." Megaman started off in a voice that gave the impression that he was testing the waters a bit. "...It might be best if I investigated alone." At the very suggestion of going on a solo mission, Teisel's excitement had been swept up in suspicion. Now, where exactly was he going with this? He was probably waiting for an opportunity like this to present itself, wasn't he? The hospital bill that he wracked up in Yosyonke was probably pretty steep and this was his way of compensating for it, wasn't it? Teisel knew he couldn't be trusted!

"Wait a minute, Megaman!" Teisel's voice was gushing with disapproval already. "What kind of scam is this?!"

Megaman leaned back slightly as if Teisel's words had poked him in the chest. "I'm not scheming anything." The former commander assured him. "I'm only suggesting that-"

"Look here, Blue Boy-"

"Teisel!" Tron stood up from her seat, cutting her brother off. "Let him finish!"

"Gah..." Teisel almost seemed to cower under his younger sister's glare. She could be so frightening whenever something set her off. "Um...go ahead, then. I-I guess." The older Bonne felt a twinge of betrayal when he saw his sister give the young man a nod to proceed with what he was trying to say. So much for the supportive sister. Put the blue bomber in a room with her and she switches sides in an instant, or runs for the Gustaff, but considering the circumstances of their current situation...

"I'm only suggesting it for your safety-"

"Whaddya mean '_safety_'?" Tron cut in before he could continue. The abrupt shift from her supportive position was enough to make Megaman and Teisel do a double take to make sure that a look-alike hadn't switched places with her. "You think we can't take care of ourselves or something? Just because-"

_"Um, Tron?"_

"-Glyde got the jump on us back at that-"

_"Hey, sis?"_

"-island doesn't mean that we're a bunch of defenseless-"

"TRON!" Teisel cried out to get her to stop.

"WHAT?!" Tron yelled back at him. "Can't you see that I'm in the middle of something?!" She waved a hand at the blue reploid standing across the other side of the table as she spoke.

"Maybe you should let him finish, huh, Tron?" Teisel chose his words carefully. "I mean...this isn't the first time we've heard about one of those dark ruins popping out of nowhere, only to rush inside and run into trouble. Besides, less worries for us, right?" The older Bonne swore that the temperature in the room spiked when the words left his mouth. Sometimes he wondered if those horns in the back of her head were really just for show because moments like this really made him pay a little more thought about it.

"He's just one guy, Teisel!" Tron argued. "You're fine with him exploring that place on his own?!"

Teisel frowned, "You know, Tron? I've told myself the saaaaame thing every time we've plotted some sort of operation. He's just one kid, just a blue guy standing in the way," He stood up and threw his arms up in the air without warning, "And BOOM! Tanks here and draches there!" He gestured to different spots on the floor to emphasize his point. "I mean, Megaman's thrown down with everything we've ever rolled in his direction. Do you remember that dragon he fought on that rich prick's ship?"

"Teisel, it wasn't a drago-"

"It WAS a dragon, okay?!" Teisel cut Tron off hysterically. "IT flew! IT breathed fire! I think I know a dragon when I see one, Tron. I'm not crazy!"

Tron and Megaman did their best to ignore the cricket chirps that followed after that statement. No, Teisel didn't need to hear the truth.

"Look! My point is, he's Megaman!" And Teisel's words had quite the effect. The universe had a certain flow, a mystical 'Od' one might say, and that simplistic explanation meant volumes. He was, indeed, Megaman. Saying anything else was simply purple prose, and wasteful at that.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________

**_Shifting the focus to the Flutter.._**

**_-----------------------------------_**

Shelke, the youngest maid that was currently under Mayor Amelia's payroll, was feeling like life's newest chew toy. One day she's locked up in the bathroom trying to find ways to counteract all of the hate and envy she had been receiving from her fellow maids at the Mayor's mansion, and the next she's being kidnapped on an adventure to, god knows where, just because she happened to the be the person who opened the door for one Tron Bonne. The Bonnes, no matter what, sure knew how to think up of ways to dramatically alter the flow of her life. When she did come face to face with this 'Tron', she would be sure to give her a piece of her mind, pirate or not, but for now she was just going to have to stick by Ira's side because her job depended on it. That was Amelia's words to her before she sent her off on the airship she was settled in now. They had been inactive since they made their landing on Archhalo island, trying to figure out what Megaman's next move would be, but now they were heading out again. From the way everyone had been crowding the only T.V in the Flutter earlier this morning, Shelke figured that might have been the source of blame for all the sudden activity, and that was just peachy! They were getting farther and farther away from Kattleox everyday.

The aforementioned young woman rested her forehead against one of the windows in the piloting deck of the Flutter, both eyes closed with a frown on her face. Ira, her charge, was beside Roll in her latest attempt to wrest the wheel free from the engineer's grips and prove to her how good of a pilot she was. With the way Roll had been effortlessly turning it at her own leisure it looked as though Ira would have to put such ambitions to rest for another day. That was neglecting to mention how oddly unmovable the blonde young woman had become since taking her spot in front of that wheel. It was well past lunch time and Roll had not even bothered to come to the living room for a break. Yuna prepared some delicious sandwiches, too. What a shame.

"Hum?" Shelke turned around when she heard the heavy door to the deck open for Sera and Yuna to enter. At the entrance of the cold mother unit there was a slightly noticeable twitch in Roll Caskett's focused expression. She'd been a little more fidgety than usual around Sera since last night. For a moment the young maid actually wondered what might have happened. She saw Yuna go down to the engine room a while after Roll went in to do some checks. Well, it certainly wasn't her business, was it?

"Ira." Shelke called to the girl with the best that could come close to emotion. At this point she wasn't in the mood to really talk to anyone, but Ira was becoming a nuisance already. It was about time that she left Roll alone. "Would you quit that?" At her command the girl gave her a look to consider whether there would be any consequences for disobeying, and judging by the pathetic attempt she made to move away from the focused engineer....Shelke felt her pride shrivel up and die in a gutter somewhere.

_I hates my life. _The maid allowed her forehead fall against the window again. _This little brat has it by the leash..._

"You know," Yuna leaned against the wall behind Roll and crossed her arms, "If Megaman really does come to Bohemia island, like we've predicted, there's a very high possibility that we'll run into the Bonnes as well." The mother unit cocked her head with worried expression before turning her attention to Sera. "If that girl, Tron, is a devious as Barrel and the others say-"

"A minor concern." Sera resolved before Yuna could speak further on the matter. "Our only obstacle in getting back Trigger is Trigger, himself."

"Well, yeah." Yuna nodded. "There is that, too."

"What are you two planning to do?" Yuna turned her attention to Roll when the engineer suddenly made her inquiry. Sera simply closed her eyes, leaning back on the wall. "If Megaman resists...what then?"

"There must be someway to convince him, Roll." Yuna assured her in a comforting tone of voice. She could tell that the subject was making the girl a little nervous. "If this is really the Megaman that I once knew on Elysium, he'll return to us eventually."

"_Eventually_ isn't what we're aiming for, Yuna." said Sera, her eyes still remaining shut. "We will need Trigger with us now, more than ever with the appearance of these new ruins."

"I don't get it. What makes Megaman so important?" Roll protested. "This Elder System....what is it all about?" Her question didn't receive an immediate answer from both mother units. Yuna crossed her arms and looked back at Sera with an awkward expression upon her lovely features. It was as if she was awaiting some sort of explanation from the cold imitation of a human being, however, Sera only looked back for a moment of silence before asking, "I'll assume that you weren't given data regarding it either?"

"I see." Yuna shook her head grimly. "So it was kept a secret from both of us."

"You mean, you have no idea at all?" The blonde engineer's voice went up an octave. "Then..."

"All we know is that it _does_ exist." Sera closed her eyes again. "It is present within our data as something part of Elysium's records, but the details were kept privy."

"And Megaman doesn't seem to know much about it, either." Yuna went on. "Why would it be kept a secret from us?"

"Wily never was a trusting man." A ghost of a smirk appeared on Sera's lips before reverting back her her stoic mask. "Now, Caskett," Roll's hands tightened around the steering wheel at being addressed by her, "Trigger's importance in stopping the Elder System is simple, really. He can act against it."

"Safety measures were installed in order to keep us tame, in a manner of speaking." Yuna explained. "The council of EDEN made sure of that in the worst case scenario. As mother units we are the most advanced artificial androids in existence, and because of that the council wanted to make sure that the possibility of a full scale rebellion would never be possible through us. Black boxes were installed."

"Projects forced upon Ciel by the council."

"Ciel? Who-"

"Land!" Ira suddenly exclaimed before Roll could get the question out of her mouth.

"We're here." Yuna sighed. "It was a nice break while it lasted."

"Very well." Sera pushed off from the wall. "I'll be doing the investigation alone."

_"What?!"_ Roll and Yuna turned to regard the short mother unit.

"If Trigger is on this island, which I'm quite sure he is, then your old adversaries are likely present as well." Sera explained. "The news about these ruins was broadcast on television. They'll be expecting us."

Yuna frowned knowing exactly where she was heading with this, "You expect me to stay behind and act as protection."

"Precisely, Yuna." Sera nodded.

"I don't...trust you." Roll scowled openly at her. "Why don't you stay guard and let Yuna meet with, Megaman?"

"Your trust is the least of my concerns, Caskett." With that Sera took her leave of the piloting deck ignoring the question that Roll posed. When she was gone the engineer turned to Yuna with a look of betrayal plastered over her features. She just didn't understand. Yuna was just going to let her go and have her way after the conversation they had in the engine room last night. After what she heard, a meeting between Sera and the former commander was the last ting that she wanted to envision.

"Yuna? Aren't you going to stop her?"

"No." Yuna answered without so much as a hesitation. "This is what's best."

"...What?"

"Admittedly, if I went down to meet with Megaman, he'd walk away if he wanted to." Yuna's tone was soft and distant as if recalling a memory.

For some reason there was a twinge in Roll's chest when she heard those words, but she couldn't explain why. All that she knew at that very moment was...she didn't want to inquire why that might have been so. It might only cause complications in the near future.

* * *

**_To Be Continued

* * *

_**

**Chapter Thirteen: The Goddess of Death**

**Legends Arc Three: Inflections**


	13. Ignition

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc Three: Inflections_**

_By Traingham_

_**_______________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**_Episode Thirteen: The Goddess of Death_****_  
_**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

_"Came to see me before the council carries out my sentence?"_ Sera's normally cold and composed voice had returned to her. It was almost unreal for Yuna who had been faced with a completely different side of her three days ago. The image of Sera standing beyond a curtain of flames with tears of crimson fluid running down her face was one that would probably stay engraved within her mind forever as there could have never been anything more horrifying. In her blind fury, Sera, had wiped out an entire civilization of carbons, and she felt nothing for it. The only thing that managed to occupy her mind, blotting out the deafening silence that had taken place of the sounds of life that had once filled the now desolate continent, was the figure of her nightmares, Second Commander Trigger. She killed him, didn't she? Yes, she must have. That murderer could not have possibly survived the explosion from his own buster cannon. That maverick's weapon of choice served to be his own undoing. The irony was delicious, and yet Sera felt hollow. The mother unit actually felt something deep within herself, and it was an indescribable emptiness. Why?

_"Sera...why did you do it?"_ Yuna questioned her sister, looking up at her as she hung at the center of the diamond-like chamber by invisible bonds. Sera was powerless to escape, resembling a doll on display with the way she stayed suspended in mid-air, naked and limp. It was a nightmarish sight for the gentle mother unit to see her in such a state. _"Do you even realize what you've done? If The Master could-"_

_"The Master is dead."_ Sera's words cut her off without emotion and yet Yuna could sense a hatred. _"Trigger was to blame for that." _An intense silence filled the room following her words before the suspended mother unit finally turned her head to regard Yuna. Even from the distance between them Yuna felt Sera's eyes bore into her own. _"Do you hate me now, Yuna?"_

_"Hate?"_ Yuna echoed Sera, bowing her head slightly. For some reason hearing the question come from Sera's lips was not something that took her off guard. Perhaps the gentle mistress had been waiting for such an opportunity without realizing it, because giving an answer suddenly felt so irresistible. What did she come here for in the first place? Did she really come simply to ask Sera what drove her to the slaughter? Of course not. She knew quite well that it was out of vengeance, so there had to be another reason from coming to this prison. Breaking away from her inner debacle of thoughts, Yuna returned to the question that was posed to her. _"I can't say for sure what I feel towards you, Sera."_

_"I took him from you." _Sera's voice grew louder. _"You will never see him again because of me. Is that not reason enough to hate me?"_

_"Understand this, Sera...." _Yuna paused for a moment, her stare building in intensity._ "...You took nothing from me."_

_"Am I blind then, Yuna?_

_".........."_

_"....Will you not at least strike me in rage?"_

_"........."_

_"I see no reason for you to be here, then."_

_"Farewell, Sera." _Yuna turned to leave. She was met with silence other than the resounding click of her every step until-

_"Yuna."_ Sera called to her before she could leave the chamber, stopping her in her tracks. Yuna, however, did not turn to face her again._ "Expression has never been a strong suit for me. I understand if my question gives you the impression that I am mocking you, however, it is not within my nature to find amusement through the personal loss of others. You and I both know what will happen once the council members return to judge me. We were both witnesses to Juno's gruesome fate, and I have no doubts that I will suffer something similar. Other than you, my only bonds were with The Master and Trigger. I have lost them both, and I realize that I am to blame for that. You are all I have left, Yuna."_

_"Sera?" _Yuna turned around to look at Sera as the cold mistress's usual, unwavering voice took on a frighteningly vulnerable tone. Her expression, however, remained otherwise the same. The gentle mistress could not help, but pity her sister.

_"If I am to spend my last few minutes of reflection alone...I only plead that it is not spent reflecting upon your hatred."_

..................................

..........................

.................

..........

_"I could never bring myself to hate you, Sera."_ Yuna's response caused Sera to close her eyes and the barest of smiles came across her lips.

_"Thank you."

* * *

_

**_PRESENT TIME_**

_____________________________________________________________________

_"Can you see a door anywhere?" _Tron's voice crackled into Megaman's ear through the ear piece he was wearing. For some reason hearing the question annoyed him, but he couldn't understand why for the life of him. Setting his own personal issues aside, the purifier unit ventured deeper into the chamber that he had entered. Two hours must have gone by since he took the plunge into the ruins and so far he had not been assaulted by any of the iconic reaverbots, and it probably didn't need to be explained why this fact had been so unnerving for the former commander. What provided more fuel to the nightmarish scene that had welcomed the purifier with each room he explored, was the lifeless shells of the ruin's cybernetic guardians. Towering hanmuru dolls remained hunched over even as he passed them, and he could swear that he bumped into some invisible sharukurusu. As to why their camouflage remained active despite them being the total opposite, he wasn't very sure, but dead was sure better than alive with those psychotic bots.

"It's almost too dark to see." Megaman replied to Tron's question, stretching his right hand out to the side to feel for a wall or depression of some sort. This would have been so much easier on him if he had been able to retain all of his original specs during the regeneration process, but luxury was not about to visit him anytime soon. Sera made sure to destroy as many vital parts as she possibly could in the heat of their last duel, so very long ago, and he was finally beginning to feel the loss of those precious parts.

"Have you found any energy readings I should be looking out for?" The young hero asked of his spotter. Sure, the reaverbots may have been dead asleep, but they were not so much the source of his deepest anxieties as a certain other factor was. Ruins like the one he was investigating now did not go unnoticed by those who understood their true nature and the only other people on Terra who were as knowledgeable as he was about them, if not more, were Yuna and Sera. That noted, he was placing his bets on running into them eventually. If he was lucky he would only run into one of them...the one that wasn't Sera.

_"Nothing on my map."_ Tron replied without a doubt. _"You said it yourself. Those reaverbots are out cold."_

Megaman came to a halt when he reached the other side of the chamber to find a wall and nothing more. "Looks like I'm going up." He bent at the knees and kicked off with a leap, both hands stretched out for an edge to grip. When his fingers came down on a flat surface he tightened the muscles in his arms and snapped up with another jump, landing on the ledge with both feet. "I've found the door, Tron." He informed her before gripping both sides of the door and opening it manually, which was somewhat putting it lightly. With the energy source of the ruins completely shut off, the doors were simply impenetrable. The sharpest of objects and the strongest of explosives wouldn't even go so far as leaving a dent, which meant that the most logical way of going about entry would have been to force the doors apart. No mere human could hope to achieve such a feat, which was comforting since Megaman was far beyond such mortal limitations.

_"You should be reaching a sort of incline in the next room. It'll lead to an elevator." _

_Deeper, huh? _The former commander narrowed his eyes slightly at the new development. _That's bound to make the trip back more complicated. _He felt his footing gradually tilt downward at an angle. This must have been what Tron had told him about meaning that the elevator wasn't very far, though, considering the problems he had already been running into due to the absence of a power source....that elevator wasn't going to be taking him down, was it? Tron's buster cannon was going to find some use after all, it would have appeared.

_"...Megaman?" _The blue bomber's legs carried him forward slightly slower at Tron's awkward tone of voice.

"Yes, Tron?" He turned away from the Bonne skull that plated his newly constructed buster cannon.

_"What are you searching for down there?"_

"Life." Was the reploid's vague reply.

_"Life?" _The pirate questioned with curiosity. _"You mean, organic life?"_

Megaman reached the door of the elevator and began another forceful entry. With the way his arms trembled he could tell that it was beginning to work its toll on his synthetic muscles. Shoving that minor inconvenience toward the back of his mind, Megaman replied, "You can say that."

_"What will you do when you find it?"_

"Let us hope...that I don't."

_"...Why?"_

"Anything living in one of these ruins is no friend to Terra." Megaman replied, his last words leaving him with a grunt as he finally forced his way into the inactive elevator. He felt for a panel of buttons of the side and tapped at random for some kind of response from the lift, but to his expectant dread, nothing he hoped for. "You'll want to lower the volume on your headset, Tron."

_"Gotcha." _The pirate's reply was followed by a short pause before she confirmed with him. When the purifier was sure that she did as he instructed, he stepped out of the elevator and aimed his buster cannon toward the floor of the lift to open fire. The reinforced metal absorbed the first twenty shots or so before Megaman's ears registered the floor giving in. A sharp stomp was all that was needed to create the entrance that he required. The only thing left to do was go down.

_**SKREEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! **_The pitch dark drop turned into a spiral of sizzling sparks as the former commander opted to grind the entire way down with the help of both legs and arms. Somewhere along the way down he felt the wall end on his left side and kicked off into the passage to smack into another door; his stop, most likely. _I hope I don't come across any more of these elevators. One is more than enough._

_"M---ga----an!" _Tron's voice managed to get to him through the static that filled his right ear the moment he forced himself in. _"I----osing y---! I do----ink we----ble to---eep---act any----bzzzt." _The reception was lost seconds later.

"Not good." Megaman tapped his ear piece a few times. "Tron?" He tapped it once more. "Tron!?" He called out to her a second time, but his call was met with more static. Considering his current situation, his next words were rather ironic. "I'm traveling blind..." However, something happened that made him eat those words almost immediately.

**_--Reploid Registration Number Acquired: Trigger Model X, Second Generation 00XT20--_**

**_--Welcome Back Dreamer--_**

"What the...?" The blue reploid was met by a metallic, feminine voice from every direction. There was a faint click in the far distance followed by the appearance of a small white dot followed by a bigger white dot, and another, and another, and another until the light filled the corners of the hall before him, approaching Megaman faster and faster. Light surged past the former commander like a flash flood, filling the entire hall with a blinding whiteness that temporarily disoriented him. When his eyes were finally able to adjust to the painful brightness that had swallowed him up, he cautiously proceeded forward. The hall clattered with his echoing footsteps, serving to make the purifier a little more nervous every time he swung his foot forward to take the next step, and before long the trip started to feel like a never ending journey. The young hero found himself looking down a few times to make sure that he wasn't on some sort of conveyor belt.

_The main system in the ruins recognize me. If that is the case, then why am I being welcomed? _Megaman glanced over his back, his walk slowing down to a gradual halt. This feeling...he was quite sure that he'd been struck with it before, but he wasn't entirely sure why. It was a sense of familiarity and warmth, and yet, it was exactly those two things that brought him unpleasant chills. Considering who it was receiving such chills, it just couldn't be a good sign. "I can't allow myself to be distracted." Returning his focus to the seemingly endless hall before him, Trigger proceeded on to what awaited him at the end. Come what may, he was prepared for anything that Elysium had in store for him. Sadly, it was all he had left to his past.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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**_Bringing the focus back to the surface..._**

**_------------------------------------------------------------_**

_"Baa. Babooo." _Bon spoke to his older brother from his playing mat at the center of the room. The youngest Bonne held a miniature model of the gesellschaft in one of his large, robotic hands, pretending that it was sailing through the skies with another airship model following not far behind that suspiciously resembled the Flutter. His older brother, Teisel, watched on from the couch with a dull expressions, a far cry from what was usually expected from the green clad pirate. Perhaps it had something to do with the conversation he had wih his younger sister earlier. Now, it wasn't that the elder Bonne was...scratch that, he _was_ greedy. Well, how could anyone possibly sit still when all the treasure was down there and they were up here?!

"I doubt we'll be seeing any action today, Bon." Teisel answered his younger brother from his seat on the couch across from him. He crossed one leg on top of the other and rotated his ankle a few times, looking to the ceiling with an expression of boredom gracing his features. "It seem like ever since Megaman joined the crew, we've been getting less of the action."

_"Boo. Babooo baboo."_

"Alright, alright!" Teisel threw his hands up. "I know this is only the second time, but I don't want the blue boy to make a habit out of it! We've handled things ourselves far too long to have him get on out the court and leave us on the bench." While Teisel ranted on about his manly insecurities, he failed to notice the flash of yellow and red that went by in the hall behind him. Bon wasn't paying much attention to anything else other than his toys and the words of his older brother so he was lost on the suspicious blur as well.

"It looks like they're occupied." Roll said to no one in particular as she sprinting along the halls of the Bonne ship with surprisingly light feet. Despite that fact that she held a rather large too box in her hand it didn't seem to slow her down one bit. She was inwardly relieved that this wasn't the Gesselschaft that they had previously owned, or getting around would have been much harder than this. The new ship that Tron and her siblings had acquired was no bigger than the Flutter. In fact, the layout wasn't much different so the engine room must have been somewhere on the center floor.

_Let me just make a few adjustments here and there, and-_ Roll's train of through derailed in an instant when the door in front of her suddenly swung open. The blonde engineer did the one thing that came to mind and rolled into the nearest room on her left. Upon gaining entry, her eyes darted around desperately for some sort of over to come to a disturbing conclusion. Those photos, this feeling of femininity that was bursting from every corner of the room! This could only belong to-

"Oh!" Roll gasped when she heard foot steps approach the open room and took her refuge under the bed. Not a moment later, a familiar pair of heels strolled into the room and stopped in front of the bed. For a frightening moment Roll thought Tron was going to kneel down and search for something, but her worries were put aside when the lovely pirate simply dropped onto the bed. It squeaked a few times, hinting at its age. Either than or someone made a habit of jumping on it.

_Couldn't you have picked a better time to sleep? _Roll inwardly cried out.

"I wonder when it'll end." Roll perked up when Tron began speaking to herself. "I managed to get Megaman to stay with us this long, but how much longer until he decides to leave? How am I supposed to bring back his memories?"

_...Huh?_

"I just don't feel comfortable with this. That Megaman down there...he isn't the guy I fell in love with."

_FELL IN LOVE WITH?!_

"...But I know that if he does go back to being the real Megaman..." Roll waited in anticipation when her rival came to a pause. "...He'll probably just run back to Roll, anyway."

_That's right. _Roll nodded a few times.

"So is this Megaman really that bad?"

_Hm?!_

"If he never gets his memories back, he might just stay and become a Bonne!"

_I won't let you do that!_

"...Nah. I've got more pride than that." Tron second guessed the scheme. "It'll only be a matter of time before Megaman decides to leave that blonde anyway, and when that happens...I'll clean up my act!"

Roll felt her nerves take a blow at that comment. _No way! He'd never do something like that! B-Besides...you clean up your act!? You're a sky pirate!_

"Teisel will get his clothing store off the ground and we'll start making money the proper way!"

_Not going to happen!_

"After that I'll go confront Megaman about my feelings."

_He'd never accept you!_

"And if he doesn't accept them...."

_Um, yeah?_

"...I'll just make him my slave!"

"Keep dreaming!" Roll cried out before she could stop herself.

"I was just kiddi..." Tron went silent when she realized that something was amiss. "Wait a second! I know that voice!" At her words, Roll rolled out from underneath the bed with her tool box held against her chest and stood up before her. The pirate could only stare at her rival in surprise as she lay on her bed completely caught off guard. This was a rather compromising position for her to say the least, but she wasn't really one to take such details in mind. "I knew you'd come!"

"Funny. It sure didn't seem like it!" Roll countered. "I'm here for Megaman!"

"He's not here!"

"I know that!"

"Then why are you even here?!"

"To tip the scales, Tron!" Roll replied before smirking at her sinisterly, which was bordered a little on the creepy side coming from her. "I won't let you use Megaman anymore!"

"I was not using him!" Tron defended herself. "We were...using each other!"

"You tricked him!"

Tron rolled her eyes, "And you could have done any better? What do you think this is, huh? Some kinda cartoon?! How am I supposed to know what will bring back Megaman's memories? In fact, how are you supposed to know? I just found an opportunity and took advantage of it!"

"I understand, Tron." Roll nodded in understanding. "I understand all, too, well."

"Then-"

"And that's why I'm taking you down!" Roll suddenly declared before Tron could get another word out of her mouth. She slipped out her trusty wrench from her side holster and held it out before Tron's eyes in a threatening manner. "It won't hurt...too much."

"Eh?" Tron went pale. "D-Did I miss something?!"

"Bye!" Roll winked and dashed out of her room, leaving the startled Bonne bewildered. Now, where was she planning on going with a wrench and a tool box? Something inside Tron told her that she had better figure this out quick or she was going to regre-

"ACK!" Tron was up on her feet in an instant, her left eye twitching furiously. "Not again!"

Teisel stepped out of Bon's room at the sound of his younger sister's cry of horror, just in time to see her burst out of her room like a bat out of hell. "HEY, TRON!" Teisel called out after her only to be ignored. The lovely pirate simply executed a running jump onto the main ladder and slid down to the floor below. Teisel, still unaware of what transpired moments ago, crossed his arms in worry. "She's going to hit her head doing that, one of these days."

_"Baboo!" _Bon exclaimed from within the room.

"Stop being paranoid, Bon." Teisel dismissed his younger brother's words.

_"Baboo baboo!"_

"That's just silly!"

_"Booo! Baboooooo!"_

"What did I say about being paranoid?!"

* * *

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_**The Underground Ruins...**_

_**----------------------------------------**_

Megaman looked over his shoulder when he reached the door at the end of the hall to find nothing, but pure whiteness. It almost gave off the illusion of never having moved at all, and for the first time in a while Trigger felt something close to frustration. This must have been one of Ciel's psychological defensive measures, no doubt. Any sane individual trying to find the secrets of this ruins would have lost resolve long ago, or would have at least lost their mind somewhere along the way to the other side.

_But for the council to put her brilliant mind to use in this manner..._ Megaman clenched his left hand into a tight fist.

The blue reploid readied his buster cannon and tapped a button on the panel that was beside the door to gain access to the next chamber. "End of the line." The door opened with a hiss of cold air and the former commander whipped around to face what awaited him within with his cannon poised for the attack. The entire time he was shrouded in the cold mist of smoke he expected something or someone to lunge at him, however, he was met with disappointment...and horror, for when the shroud had been unveiled he found himself staring back at her. There she stood, beside the stasis pod that should have served as a sleeping capsule for a reploid and a very dangerous one at that. Even in their time apart she remained the same. She was cold, unchanged, and untouchable. She was the constant and eternal force of opposition. Along with her presence came the primal scream from within for self preservation and an insatiable hunger for destruction.

"Sera." Her name left the former commander's lips almost breathlessly.

"You have arrived a little too late, Trigger." Sera answered his greeting. "The harbinger has taken her leave."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Trigger sighed, dropping his arm to his side.

"And what would you have done if you had met her, face to face?" Sera stepped away from the pod and proceeded to close the distance between them to a fair minimal. "Would you have done that which you have refused to carry out so many times in the past? Would you have gone so far as to retire her in her weakened state?" Sera's inquiry was not met with an answer, nor did she expect one to come from the commander. She knew the answer and so did he.

Trigger studied her body movements cautiously. _She seems relaxed....then again, when doesn't she? _

"Aren't you curious, Trigger?" Sera suddenly asked him.

"Of what?" The blue bomber decided to humor her.

"Her purpose?"

"I can't say that I am." Trigger replied.

"I suppose that is something to be expected of any maverick hunter." Sera started to pace in front of him. "However, not from you. You were always different from the rest of the purifiers. It isn't within your nature to approach a situation like this in such an obtuse manner." She came to a halt, turning her head to regard him. "Why lie to yourself?"

"What are you stalling for, Sera?" Trigger asked her in a near monotone voice, now thoroughly agitated. "You didn't meet me here to have a conversation."

"On the contrary, Trigger. I did come here to talk with you, and I believe you know why."

"Then you should know my answer." Trigger retorted before he saw something suspicious flash across the mother unit's face.

Sera nodded to him, "Yes. I do, actually." Her eyes glowed crimson. "Which is why I wanted to come alone."

"Hm?" The purifier resisted the urge to quirk a brow. _What an odd response..._

"It is only with you that I can feel this way, Trigger." Sera took a step towards him. "It's been that way since we met on Elysium, and it's the same now. Your very existence...it has an effect on me that the Master could never dream of arousing."

"...What?" Trigger lifted his buster cannon again with his other hand.

"That is why I cannot stop myself whenever we start." Sera stepped closer. "I find myself pushing myself harder until I'm near exhaustion."

"Sera!" The reploid growled her name threateningly.

"I will take you back with me, Trigger. Make no mistake, you will not escape me again as you have before, so many times. I underestimated you twice; once, when we engaged one another on this planet in its younger days, and a second time when that impostor had taken your place on Elysium, but no more." Sera's pace hastened. "Do it again, Trigger. Burn brilliantly as you had on our first time, and I will do the same. I will accept no less."

"If that will finally satisfy you!" With his final reply Sera lunged at him, an explosion of light trailing behind her like a blaze of fire.

"With you," Sera pulled one hand back, plasma energy scorching in a bright yellow inferno, "I am never satisfied!"

_**"SERAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

**_

**_To Be Continued_**

* * *

**_Chapter Fourteen: Eternally Yours_**

**_Legends Arc Three: Inflections_**


	14. Envy

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc Three: Inflections_**

_By Traingham

* * *

_

_**_______________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**_Episode Fourteen: Eternally Yours_****_  
_**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

_"SERAAAAA!"_ The pupils in Trigger's eyes seemed to disappear in the intense light that had reflected from the energy that radiated from Sera's right hand. The world behind her was reduced to nothing more than a blend of colors, swirling in a blur from the rip in time and space that the mother unit's body had created in her aggressive charge. In the split second that the former commander had to think up some sort of evasive maneuver, his mind started processing thoughts at speeds that would have put any modern made super computer to shame. His reflexes kicked in and his right hand shot out and clutched Sera's empowered arm. Both of his legs braced against the impact of the mother unit's rushing form with sparks, the floor wearing away at a frighteningly fast rate under the friction. Seconds later, Trigger became quite aware of the door behind him as Sera slammed his back against it. Both of his feet were now a few inches deep into the floor beneath him, and the bottom of his plated boots were so hot that they were still melting through the metal.

Sera's lips twitched into the closest thing to a smirk that he had ever witnessed on her face. Something told him that she had been itching to have this meeting with him for a while, and despite the pressing nature of his current situation, in a manner of speaking, he found that this realization pleased him in a way that he had rather not pay much mind to investigate at a later time. Regardless of that, he got the feeling that he was beginning to grasp some sort of understanding in regard to the complexity that surrounded the woman he was currently engaged with.

"I am curious," Sera leaned in until she was invading the blue reploid's personal space in a more intimate manner. Trigger faintly entertained the idea that she was perhaps contemplating whether to bite his face or dart for his eyes. From his last actual duel with her _(An exclusion of the more recent engagement on Elysium)_, he didn't recall anything along the lines of laser eyes being a part of her offensive repertoire. "With nowhere to escape to, how will you fare against me?"

Trigger tightened his grip around her arm in preparation to counter. "Those are confident words, Sera. You already seem convinced that this fight is leaning in your favor!" His final few words left him with a grunt as he forced her to the side of him. He rolled to an appropriate distance as she rammed the wall and opened a few rounds on her with his buster cannon. Obviously his shots weren't directed at her with the intent of doing actual damage. Being that the buster cannon he was utilizing now was nothing more than a rush job, for the sole intention that he would have _something_ to shoot at the reaverbots with, Trigger's expectations of its performance against a far superior opponent like Sera wasn't even scratching the idea of hopeful, so when the energy projectiles that were sent at her disintegrated against the invisible field that she had maintained around her floating form, the commander was not discouraged in the least. Rather, he saw it more as an opportunity to take action and rush at her with a flying knee, and Sera certainly was not expecting him to be so direct in his methods. When his knee connected with her stomach in mid-air, Sera shot him a glare that simply said, _'You didn't just go melee on me, did you?'_

Sera wouldn't allow him to enjoy her moment of unguarded surprise, however, increasing the output of her force field so that he was jolted away from her. "Interesting." Sera mused, watching her arch rival assume a stance with his buster cannon aimed at her position. "I assumed that you would try to keep a distance from me the entire time," She dropped down to the floor, "However, if you wish to take a bolder approach...I have no qualms."

Trigger closed his hand into a fist, _Introductions are now over. She's going to move-- _And almost as if Sera had read his mind, she moved in for the strike. The space in front of the purifier rippled and tore open, and there she was, whipping around with a kick that sliced in an elegant arc toward the side of his head. The hearing left him momentarily once her foot connected and he was at her mercy, staggering to the side for all the world like a wobbling infant, taking his very first steps and failing miserably. By the time the blue bomber regained his center of balance Sera had sprung up with a ferocious, twirling uppercut that lifted him right off the floor with her following him along into the air. Everything slowed down as the cold mother unit twisted her hips to send him on his way back down with a downward kick. She brought her right foot above her head and had gone into the process of bringing it down upon him when she found herself looking down the barrel of Trigger's buster cannon.

A smirk, "_Bang_." He let off a shot at point blank, hitting Sera directly in the face. When she reeled backwards, stunned from the shot, he whipped around in mid-air and hooked her around the back of her neck with his leg to keep her in close range before positioning his cannon right underneath her chin and proceeding to rapid fire. By the time the buster cannon had exhausted itself to cool down for another barrage, Sera's face was close to pitch black, and apparently none too happy about it. Her eyes snapped open to reveal her fearsome, crimson eyes and she gripped the leg around her neck to twist out of his hold and slam him into one of the operating control panels below them like a sledgehammer. The delicate equipment crackled and popped sparks and electricity before engulfing both of them within an explosion of fire and black smoke moments before it vomited a swirl of smoke that shot for the ceiling, making a fleshy impact with a dent to match the outline of Trigger's thrown body. He fell back down to the floor unceremoniously, his blue armor now a darker shade from the blast.

"Are you done resisting?" Sera stepped out of the twisting pillar of black smoke as the former commander picked himself off the ground. "I would rather avoid inflicting any severe injuries." Her left eyebrow made a noticeable twitch when Trigger ran a hand through his hair to smooth it out into its usual unruly style as if to mock her. Was he still going to defy her even now? Why was it that he constantly refused her? Why wouldn't he just surrender already?! She was the one in control of the situation, not him. His abilities were limited, where as her strength could defy boundaries and evolve to extraordinary lengths beyond his wildest dreams. Was that not enough for him to concede? Did she not at least deserve his acceptance in that right?

"I've gotten by, resisting you, this far." Sera found herself the target of Trigger's buster cannon for another time. The commander remained calm as he engaged his relentless hunter in a fierce staring match. "What's a third time, Sera?"

"The circumstances are different from before."

"How so?" Trigger watched her make the first move in their little intermission, picking up into a run. After images trailed behind the mother unit as she leaped into the air with a somersault, a ripple in space behind her the entire time as if a summoning was taking place. The commander, already suspicious of the familiar disturbance in the dimensional fabrics that always accompanied Sera's attacks, had decided not to remain stationary any longer and charged to meet.

"My motives for fighting you have changed." Sera lifted her hand above her head, her eyes never leaving Trigger as he approached her. "My goals," She threw her arm down and four dimensional rips tore open behind her, hailing the rushing reploid with energy rays, all while she went on, "My goals are clearer to me."

"Ungh!" The blue hero let out a grunt as he preformed a dodging roll to avoid a few nearby explosions from the energy rain. He answered her with a few buster shots when he was up an running again and she dodged, phasing out of existence between each shot as she flew down to meet him. When the space between them had closed, Sera whipped around with a kick from mid-air and he answered with one of his own roundhouses, their legs connecting with an explosion of might that sent shockwaves reverberating in every direction. They remained in that position with their legs crossed for a time, simply engaging eyes.

"Hungh!" Trigger pulled his leg back and whipped around with a punch---

**_WHAM!_**

---and connected with Sera's fist in return.

Their movements were so mirror-like that he wouldn't have been surprised if she had read his mind. Finding that they were at a stalemate, both of them decided to put some distance between each other to rethink their strategies.

"And my focus," When Sera began speaking again Trigger felt himself take a step back. She had become quite the talker, hadn't she? "My focus has never been sharper. All I see is you, Trigger." With her last sentence the bonds that wrapped around her wrists exploded with a piercing light. He narrowed his eyes to keep from being completely blinded. "And it has always been that way," Her voice seemed to echo from the pillar of light that had swallowed her up, "I simply never realized it until now."

The ground beneath Trigger's feet began to tremble violently and powerful vibes pulsed from the light like a steadily increasing heartbeat. "There's always a second stage to this woman," The commander muttered to no one in particular, psyching himself up for what was yet to come. That's when it happened--the very foundation of the world around him twisted unto itself and swirled into the light as if it had become a drain. Cracks formed along the air, approaching him like a web trying to ensnare him until there was a crash--a shattering of some sort. The shards of dimension were pushed past him and the side of the chamber that Sera had been occupying had ceased to exist...

"Are you ready, Trigger?"She asked him, floating before him in her new form. A winged, gold helmet graced her head framing her face and curving over her cheeks elegantly. Armor of exact splendor covered her entire body from the pointed spaulders that arced at their ends to the greaves that covered her legs and the talons that lethally protruded from her boots. Six gold wings stretched out behind her with a loud flap, and she crossed her arms out in front of her to flex her lethal new claws in a silent issue of challenge.

_"Have at you!"_

* * *

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__________________________________________________________________

**_As That Went On Below...._**

**_------------------------------------------------_**

Tron lost her balance and stumbled to the side when the ship rumbled as if something had struck it from its side. The lovely pirate gripped the side rail with knuckles white as snow until the ship ceased its rocking. Upstairs she could hear the startled yelps of her two siblings, or in Bon's case, the _"BABOOOOOO" _that echoed the halls like the wail of an infantile ghost...or not. Tron inwardly shook that last thought from her mind before it could lose track and manifest into something creepier later into the night--

**_((__ThE SHip R-R-roCKEd))_**

"WAH!" Teisel cried out as there was a loud thump upstairs. He most likely fell over to the si-- "N-NO BON! GO LEFT! GO LEF-" The older Bonne's voice was cut off by a crunch, most likely caused by Bon's large body falling on top of him. Tron winced at the mental image that filled her mind despite herself before whipping her head to the engine room across the hall from her with looks that could melt a hole into the very sun itself. That blonde had really done it this time! She let it slide when she ran over one of her kids with that damn spotter car on Kattleox a year ago. She found it within herself to restrain herself from kicking her over the cliff when she kidnapped her in an attempt to lure Megaman over to her side that one time in the past, and she even let those smart remarks she shot at her about being a pirate fall deaf to her ears when they joined forces, but no more! She crossed the line!

"ROLL!" Tron bellowed just as the engine room door was kicked open by said young woman.

"WHOA!" A servbot cried out tumbling out of one of the rooms on the floor. It was followed by another that was trying it's best to keep a good hold on the door knob as it swung back and forth, but since it really didn't have any fingers to begin with-- "MS. TROOOON!"--it tumbled down the hall as well.

"AHHH!" Another tumbled down one of the ladders.

"Would you guys stop squirming?!" Tron cried out, tears flying from her eyes in a comedic fashion.

"SORRY MS. TRON!" They all whined in unison.

Just then, Roll decided that it was time to make her big exit while her rival was preoccupied with her children, but Tron caught her movement on her peripheral and scrambled after her as best she could while the ship continued its erratic rocking. It was a rather awkward scene as Roll unsteadily made her way in Tron's direction to get past her and to the door behind her, and Tron clawed at her while doing her best not to fall on her face again, legs trembling as if they would give out beneath her at any second. All in all, it was like watching two handicapped hermit crabs face off against each other on the beach shore while waves washed along, shifting the terrain at random intervals, which was...well...sad.

"W-What the hell did you do?!" Tron yelled. She gave up on grasping out for Roll and clutched the side rails for dear life.

Roll placed one foot against the door frame of one of the rooms beside her in an attempt to keep from suffering the same fate the servbots did and replied, "W-Well...stuff, I guess!"

"STUFF?!" Tron went hysterical as a vein popped on her forehead. "WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TA' MEAN, HAH?!"

"YOU MADE THAT ENGINE YOURSELF!" Roll screamed back at the pirate with enough conviction to make it seem like a crime in itself. "HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING TO IT?! I COULDN'T RECOGNIZE ANY OF THE PARTS!"

"DON'T MOCK MY CREATIVE GENIUS!"

"TRY FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS IN THE BOOK NEXT TIME!" That was the last straw as Tron simply ignored the rocking of the ship and lunged at Roll with a vengeance, and she would have succeeded if Roll had not leaned away by an inch. Physics had taken its course and Tron fell to the side, tumbling into Megaman's room. Roll took a moment to check for a twitch when the horned girl hit her head against the wall and chugged on to freedom when she groaned. The red clad engineer carefully stepped over some of the unconscious servbots and climbed the ladder to the top floor, wrench held between her teeth and tool box tucked under her left arm. She spotted Teisel and Bon crumpled on the floor upon surviving the climb up and tried to tip toe past them, but she jumped back when Teisel's hand twitched at her presence.

"Whosh zhat?" Teisel asked in a panicky voice, face squashed under Bon's foot.

"Um...sorry, Teisel." Roll apologized, genuinely sorry that she had put the poor guy through so much trouble. She cracked a guilty grin and chirped, "Gotta go!"

"R-Rull?!" The green pirate cried out. "Oh gerd! Megerman shent oo choo kirl ush, dirdn't he?!"

"K-kill you?!" Roll gasped in horror. "NO WAY!" She turned away, taking offense in his accusation, and ran off leaving Teisel and Bon on the floor.

"I knoo irt!" The white haired pirate growled triumphantly. "I knoo heh kerdn't bir troosted!"

"Babooooo." Bon responded to his brother dizzily.

"I'm noot beng peranoid!"

Outside, Yuna floated beside the door for Roll to come out with a worried expression as the Bonne's ship continued to rumble, steam expelling from every vent like a giant, whistling tea pot. She almost lost her patience and decided to go in to investigate what was keeping her blonde friend when the door was kicked open and Roll popped her head out in search of the gentle mother unit. Her soot covered face lit up when Yuna waved at her and shot her a thumbs up.

"I'm ready to go!" Roll announced before the ship made a sudden jerk causing her to lose her balance. "W-Whoa!" She fell forward, flailing her arms.

"I've got you!" Yuna assured her, catching her by the wrist before she could slip out of her reach. She flew a safe distance from the ship before looking over her shoulder for a moment and looking to Roll. "Wow...are you sure they're going to be alright, Roll? I think you may have gone a little too hard on them."

"Oh, this?" Roll's voice was calm with its casual tone. "Don't worry, Yuna. Compared to the other things we've done to them, this is a pushover." The blonde engineer looked to the town below watching as spotter cars sped down the streets to reach the ruins on the other side of the island where the Flutter was docked. Her expression fell grim. _I wonder what's going on down there. Has Megaman surrendered himself to Sera, or is he putting up a fight?_

"Roll?" Yuna's concerned call finally reached her ears, snapping her out of her stupor.

"Um, yeah, Yuna?" She looked up at her. "I something wrong?"

"I was talking to you." Yuna replied. "But it looks like you had something important on your mind."

Roll shook her head with a forced grin, "Nothing really! I must have spaced out, huh?" Her words sounded convincing enough, however, Yuna didn't appear to fall for the act very well. For some reason when she looked at her with that concerned expression, Roll felt odd. Perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact that this woman had been wearing her mother's skin the first time she met her. She couldn't help, but feel some kind of mysterious connection to her. "D-Don't look a me like that." The blonde lowered her eyes with a blush.

"Are you still worried about, Megaman?"

"No." Roll lied. "Well...maybe I'm a little uncomfortable. I feel like I should have been the one to go down and talk to him."

"...I understand." Yuna sympathized.

"Hm?" Roll detected a sadness in the mother unit's voice. What was going through her mind every time she thought about Megaman? It wasn't as noticeable before when he had first returned from Elysium, but it seems that ever since Megaman returned to being this...'Trigger', Yuna had been acting a little reserved in his presence. She had occasionally teased him when he was still with them on the Flutter, however, it lacked that maternal warmth that would usually accompany her usual gestures. In fact, Roll felt that Yuna appeared to behave in a younger manner when she spoke to Trigger. She was far more relaxed and laid back, if not a little timid. It was the classic school girl attitude.

"Yuna?"

"Yes?"

"If Megaman ever did return to his normal self," Roll took note of the odd smile that appeared upon Yuna's lips at the very mention of _'normal'_, "wouldn't that mean that he would stop being, Trigger, again?"

Yuna nodded, her smile vanishing, "That is very likely."

"Then...wouldn't you..." Roll took a moment to swallow, inwardly cringing. She wanted to ask this question in a way that didn't seem like she was prying too hard for a reaction. "...I mean...Trigger is your closest friend, isn't he?"

"Megaman is important to you, isn't he?" Yuna mirrored her question back at her without answering.

"Of course he is."

"Then for you to lose him forever," Yuna lifted her chin a little higher, making her face almost unreadable from Roll's point of view, "Wouldn't it hurt?"

"Yes." The engineer replied. "Yes, it would." And yet, Yuna was avoiding her question and she could tell. The delicacy that she exhibited with this 'Trigger' was present at every moment that the subject was brought up, whether it was his involvement with Sera or her friendship with him. She was willing to give light details considering her own involvement with him, but delving any deeper would result in a complete shut off. Every mention of this enigmatic figure from Elysium was like taboo to both, her and Sera.

Roll boldly took a push, "But Trigg-"

_"Why does that matter?"_ And that was the end of that.

* * *

_Her words were sad: 'Why does that matter?'. For me to get back that person who was most important to me, and for her to pay the price of losing her special someone. What did it matter if she lost him? I would gain my own happiness and that was all that mattered...What did it mean?_

_______

_

"What do you mean someone went in there?!" The chief of Bohemia island's police force, a middle aged man of salt and pepper hair that was slicked to perfection and an intimidating pair of shades, yelled at one of the officers that stood guard at the entrance of the ruins. After the news reporters had gotten the story they had come for and spread it out to the world, the law enforcement division of the island was quick to take action and start blocking off routes that could be taken to reach the ruins. Police cruisers and trucks were lined all around the old dome to serve as a makeshift barricade and officers were posted around the grounds in groups, and just in time, too. Hours after the report had gotten out, Bohemia had become the number one hot spot in the region. Airships came to dock from every direction bringing diggers from islands overseas, and spotter cars had congested the roads with traffic. The main city had erupted in chaos with all of the angry diggers and pirates that were foaming at the mouths for their chance at the treasures that awaited them underground. Fights broke out and the law enforcement had experienced some conflict at the barriers, but they had been managing themselves pretty well so far, all with the exception of one penetration and the chief was furious. What a guy. "Who was it?! Was it a man or a woman? A child?!"

"A young man in blue digging armor, sir." The officer reported calmly. "Impressively enough, he managed to get by without any force. His speed was inhuman."

"Do you realize what's going to happen?!" The chief nearly spat his cigarette to the ground with his furious question. The officer that was receiving the brunt of all the suppressed rage had to politely wipe the spit away from his chin more times than he would have appreciated with anyone else. "When the head of the Diggers Guild finds out that we let even one person into those ruins before they classified, it'll come down on my head! I'll be forced to resign! The mayor will kill me! I'd lose my everything!"

_

______

_~Who were you, Trigger?~ _

_______

__  
_

"We made an attempt to pursue him into the ruins, sir, however, it appears that he locked himself in." The officers behind him nodded in unison.

_

______

_~Why did you seem to attract so much disorder?~_

_______

_

"How the hell did he manage to do that?!"

"We're not sure, sir." The officers behind him shook their head din unison.

"Did you try any alternatives? There has to be some way to get inside there if a kid managed to do it!"

"We've tried everything, sir." The officer assured him. "Even if we did find a way now, he's either managed to get in deep already, or a reaverbot might have gotten to him before us. He wasn't packing much equipment with him. To be honest, I'm not expecting him to come back to us safely anytime soon."

The chief kicked at the ground and clenched his hands into angry fists, "What a damn mess! Ugh, this can't be happening!" To emphasize the amount of rage that he held deep inside, he stomped the ground...and caused a tremor. The officer he was speaking to raised an eyebrow over the shades he had on and the others that were standing guard behind him all looked at him in confusion. The angry protests from the visiting diggers had calmed to quiet murmurs and they all waited....

_"GrrrrrRUF! RUF! RUF! RUF! RWROR RWOF ROWF! RARF RARF RARF!" _All of the dogs from the K-9 unit had become frantic. Their respective officers rushed over to them and tried to settle them down, but the dogs appeared to have sensed something approaching and by the looks of how riled up they were, it wasn't good.

"What's their problem?!" The chief barked at the officers that were handling them.

"We don't know, sir!"

"Hey, calm down, Rush!"

"Settle down, Treble! What's the matter with ya, girl?!"

Some of spooked diggers got back into their spotter cars and started the ignition to pull out and leave the ruins site when they saw some of the disturbing reactions from the dogs, but they had responded to the warning signs all too late. It all started when the tremors had returned again, however, the pause between each one had decreased to the point that the officers could no longer stay calm and remain at their posts. The trucks and cruisers that were parked all around the ruins started rocking side to side. Some of the dogs had broken free from the hold of their assigned officers and turned tail for safety as if the end of the world had come. There was an abrupt stop---

_**KACHOOM!**_

"AHHHH!" The officers posted near the entrance all jumped right out of their socks and held their arms over their heads protectively when the top of the dome had been blown sky high with a thunderous explosion. Cracks tore through the grounds leading away from the dome, traveling as far as the check points that were set up near the exits of the main city. The clouds that were hanging in the sky directly above the scene of the explosion twisted around the pillar of fire that shot up high, and there was a loud scream. It started out somewhere from deep within the pillar and the officers below heard it grow louder until they saw a fireball shoot out from the pillar and come down at them like a flaming comet! They scattered just in time to avoid being smashed to molecules, being thrown to the ground from the hard impact.

To the officers' already growing confusion in the chaos that had surrounded them, they heard coughs come from the fresh, new crater. An armored hand shot out to grasp the edge followed by another and a young man pulled himself out, looking for all the world like he had just returned from a trip to the underworld. His armor was piping red, still superheated from the unpleasant crash landing and his hair was surprisingly fine. Ignoring the incredulous nature of it all-- _"TH-THAT'S H-HIM! THAT'S THE KID FROM EARLIER!" _One of the officers pointed out before the others started babbling incoherently, all pointing at Trigger as though he had fallen out of the..._ahem_. And yet, one had to ask--

"WHAT'S THAT?!" Trigger's expression hardened at the frightened cry and turned his attention to the still burning pillar to catch a sighting of a burning Phoenix emerging. Of course, he knew exactly who it really was flapping their wings high above, and she was sure to make her dive soon.

"Dammit!" The maverick hunter pointed his super heated cannon at Sera once she made her nose-dive for him, the fire dissipating from her armor as she gained astonishing velocity. When she was within range he attempted to take a shot for her helmet, but there was a sonic boom upon her touchdown, sending him skidding along the ground with a grinding halt against an overturned police cruiser. She approached him slowly, folding her wings.

"It's really over now, Trigger." Sera called out to him, managing to keep her usual tone of voice amazingly enough. "Accept it. You have lost."

_

______

_~What was it about you, Trigger, that these two women found themselves so fascinated with?~_

_______

_

"Not," The former commander got to his feet, barely, "until I've lost the will to resist." He stared Sera down until she closed the distance between them, seemingly standing a few feet taller than him in her second form when they were face to face. They remained there in a deeply disturbing silence for a while; Sera looking down at him with her usual stoicism and, Trigger, shoulders and chest heaving up and down in near exhaustion. She was right, he had finally reached his limit.

"Trigger...." Sera's tone was wistful.

"...Wha--uh?!" She startled him when she took the sides of his face between her clawed hands.

_"Resist this."_

--She kissed him.

_

______

_~....Trigger...what tragedy befell you?~_

_______

_

____________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

* * *

_

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

**_Elysium Memoirs: Night of Sera' Sentencing..._**

**_------------------------------------_**

Four days earlier her world was as it had always been; carefree, adventurous, and memorable. She had embraced every passing moment as she always did, waking up to the new day with high expectations and a childlike naivety that danger and disappointment was far and out of reach. She met every person with a tender warmth and appreciation that there were others with her that she could express her love of the world with and sympathize with them and well as have their sympathy in return. She had seen her sister and bonded with her, come to understand her, and hoped that someday she would find the joy that she had found rapture in. She had taken pleasure in her own freedom and roamed at her own will, doing as she pleased whenever and however she pleased, but most of all, she would have been with him. She would have teased him and grown closer to him. They had have been together...four days earlier. For Yuna, today had been a very different day.

Where did it all begin? When did it all go wrong? What had been the trigger for the change? How had it gone in motion? What day, long ago, did Sera suddenly begin to feel such an intense dislike for Trigger? When was it that Trigger's violent nightmares finally reach the breaking point for him. Why did Juno feel the need to turn against the humans of Elysium? What ever urged The Master to leave his only home and drag along his closest friend into the chaos that would birth from such a thought? Why couldn't it have been someone else? Yuna's thoughts were so desperately set on finding these answers as they were the only solutions to bringing her some peace, even if it would have only been hollow and momentary at that. Elysium had once been a place that could truly represent what its own name had so conceitedly claimed. It was her own personal heaven where she could live contently and grant her own desires, or at least find that which she desired and pursue it until she had it within her grasps. Now Elysium had become cold and lifeless.

The colony was a dying body governed by a deteriorating spirit. The humans of Elysium were no longer certain of the direction of their lives and were in desperate need of some assurance that what had transpired two days ago would never return to haunt them in the future. The EDEN was broken without The Master to serve as their leader and source of comfort that the human race would continue to prosper under his protection and fatherly care. Their attempts to recollect themselves so far had been failing, and hope was nowhere in sight with all of the disputes that had arisen between the remaining members. The atmosphere in the reploid districts of the colony had fallen heavy with uncomfortable airs of tension and restlessness. With the talks of _Irregular Hunters_ being a thing of the past with the rumored _'Servitor' _series being the EDEN's newest project, the trust between human and reploid was going under even more strain than when the maverick incidents had increased over the past year. Fear and paranoia had become a toxic plague in a world where ailment had been non existent. It was unpleasant and despairing.

All of this was not lost on Yuna. Since returning to Elysium from Sera's imprisonment site, at the very grave that she herself had personally dug up, she had become very aware that her world was no longer what it had been. Not only had she lost her beloved sister, but she had lost her closest friend, Trigger. With the tensions now running high between the humans and reploids her presence in the reploid districts was more likely to cause an unwelcome stir. She was the representation of a being far beyond the existence of reploids, and perhaps on a darker, untapped sense, humanity's savior from them if they should ever come to embraced that which had been a part of their cybernetic lineage since the beginning of their creation; _Maverick_.

Yuna was alone.

The gentle mother unit never felt a shred of loneliness since the day of her activation. She was always surrounded by people she knew and wanted to see. The members of the EDEN were always kind to her, always willing to entertain her thoughts and make time for her in their day. The many engineers of the colony took her under their wing and treated her as though she was their own daughter. The new servitors looked up to her as their mother and guardian almost instinctively, and constantly wished for her to be in their presence as children naturally do with their maternal figures. The reploids welcomed her with open arms as though she had been no different from any of them, and Trigger was always there to extend his hand in friendship and put up with her ruthless teasing. If that wasn't enough, Gatz was always by her side no matter what, even if he was a little on the dull side. Then again, admittedly, she had felt a twinge of loneliness whenever she could not catch Trigger on his patrols, however, even that was quite rare since she would always pursue him at headquarters if that happened to fail. Now she felt isolated from the others. She was closed off from the reploids, and despite the fact that the council members still accepted her around them there was an undeniable change in atmosphere about them, and it undoubtedly had a lot to do with Sera and her actions in avenging The Master. Gatz was the only one unaffected by everything, but that was to be expected. He was devoted to her in every sense of the word.

Regardless....this was _hell_.

Yuna was seated on a stone bench at the center of the courtyard that had been constructed in the ever stretching shadow of the EDEN building, a monstrous colossus situated at the center of the main city. Despite that, the plants and flowers all around the courtyard continued to grow prosperously. After all, they were made to grow and seem elegant and beautiful. They were special, artificially made plant life, molded and created by human hands just as her and the reploids had been. Was it irony that she had found her place amongst them in the aftermath of the crisis?

"With Sera gone, I remain as Elysium's only guardian." Yuna said to no one in particular, looking up to the artificial sky of the colony and its sun. "What part am I going to play now?" She lowered her head, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. It was cold and forced. "Will I turn out just like Sera, then?" An image of her cold sister settled in her mind. She could play that part perfectly if she wanted to. They were twins, after all. She just had to shorten the length of her hair and she would become a perfect mirror of her stoic counterpart.

_~Thank you.~_

Yuna's smile dropped quickly when Sera's final words to her echoed in her mind. She clutched the sides of her head and doubled over with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Sera. How cruel of me to entertain such thoughts." She shook her head, lowering her hands. "But...I can't help it. What am I going to do now? Everyone is either gone, or just...too scared or disgusted to talk to me...."

_Kind of like how things were going with Sera... _Yuna scowled at her own thoughts. "No! I'm doing it again!"

"Mistress?"

"Huh?!" Yuna flinched not expecting to be called by Gatz. Where had he been hiding this entire time? "Um, yes?" She responded to his call, looking to him with a gleam that she inwardly pleaded, didn't look too hopeful. She desperately wanted to hear some sort of good news. Maybe they changed their mind about keeping Sera imprisoned on Terra. After all, one guardian isn't enough for Elysium, and Sera always played the part better anyway! Then again...that was probably a step further than wishful thinking. Yeah, that bordered more on delusional. "What seems to be the matter, Gatz?"

"You have visitors, Mistress Yuna." Gatz replied, looking for the first time ever, a little nervous.

"A council member, perhaps?" Yuna inquired dully.

"No, mistress." Gatz shook his head before taking a pause. "I believe they were Master Trigger's friends."

His answer was like the equivalent of a fist to the stomach. For a moment Yuna considered the idea of running in the other direction as fast as she possibly could and never turning back. Uncomfortable simply didn't describe what she felt knowing that _they_ wanted to see her. Why? Why did they even want to associate themselves with her anymore when she shared ties to the very individual who was responsible for Trigger's absence. Did they not hate her? Despise her for what she was?

"Mistress?" Gatz called to her worriedly when the gentle mother unit spaced out, but his call was lost on her. It wasn't until she heard a familiar feminine voice that she whipped her head in his direction, or rather the people who were approaching from behind him.

"Alia, slow down!" Iris chased after her blonde friend with Nero following far behind in his usual composed walk. The aforementioned female irregular hunter, however, was far ahead of the both of them, closing the distance between Yuna and herself rather quickly. She went so far as to push past Gatz to get to her. The servitor never stood a chance against her fierceness.

"Yuna!" Alia cried out her name almost desperately. "Please, Yuna, you need to tell me the truth!" The blone reploid got down on the bench with her and clutched her arm too tightly for comfort. Yuna felt herself stiffen up instantly at the unwanted contact. The sight of Iris coming closer did not help in alleviating the feeling a bit, but perhaps what made that even worse was the expression on Nero's face. She had never seen the crimson reploid look so...defeated. This must have been the image of a mourning comrade.

"A-Alia." Yuna did her best not to let her voice waver. "What is the matter?" Maybe that wasn't the right way to go about this.

"The city knows! Everyone knows about that bitch, Sera!" Alia leaned in furiously. "She's still alive, isn't she?!" Iris placed a hand on her friend's shoulder and squeezed tightly in a silent notification that she should ease off from Yuna a bit.

"You're getting out of control, Alia." Iris tried to calm her down. "Calm down."

"What do you care, Iris?!" Alia turned on her friend bitterly. "You still have Nero beside you!"

"A...Alia." Iris felt the strength in her hand slip away.

"Yuna...tell me. Is Trigger still alive?" Alia used her other hand to grip Yuna's other shoulder and nearly shook her as tears began to well up in her eyes. "Please! Please, please, please...." Her voice cracked, her bottom lip beginning to twitch. "Tell me he's alive somewhere down there! He managed to escape to safety, right?! He's down there waiting for me, isn't he?!"

IT was right there, at that moment, that Yuna finally understood. Of course that was the way it was, how could she not have seen it before? _This girl is in love with him....she always had been in love with him...since the moment they had become partners she had placed her heart in his hands. _The looks, the snark comments, the odd responses when she had come to take the second commander away with her on their strolls through the city. Alia had been jealous of them, and she had been blind to it the entire time...or had she? Was she really so naive? The evidence had been present right before her for so long. Surely she must have noticed, so did she...simply ignore all of it?

"YUNA!" Alia shook her back to reality. "What are you waiting for?! Answer me, goddammit!"

"Trigger is......" Yuna hesitated.

___________

____________________________________________

_~Retrieve Trigger's body.~_

_~~~~~~~~"That is what I meant to inform you about......He's gone."~~~~~~~_

_~"Impossible."~_

_________________________________

______________

_"Trigger....Trigger is...." _Yuna repeated herself, looking into Alia's green eyes to find hope. She wanted to hear that he was alive and waiting for her to come to him. She wanted to know that she could escape the cold world of Elysium and find a new life in Terra with him. What could be sweeter? What else could bring her more happiness? What more could she ever need than the person who was special to her?

...But...

_**"Trigger is dead."  
**_

Yuna felt Alia's hands go rigid with an unspeakable shock. Her eyes had become absent of all feeling and indication of life. All that indicated her processing what Yuna told her was the steam of tears that started slipping down her cheeks in a sorrowful rhythm, trailing down her cheeks and dripping off the edge of her chin. Then--

"NO!" Alia screamed at the top of her lungs, ripping herself away from Yuna roughly to stand. She clenched her hands murderously and punched the brick floor with every ounce of strength she had within her. The bricks didn't crack, of course. Elysium was all about perfection, but it didn't matter to her. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Every time she screamed she punched the floor harder...faster...sloppier. Iris rushed to her to comfort her, but Alia jerked her hands off her shoulders.

"Uwah..." Alia crumpled into herself, hugging her shoulders as she bowed her head into the ground. "C-Commander...why c-couldn't....I come? W-Why.... die...alone?"

Yuna watched without a word at the destroyed individual before her and shed a tear.

_...What have I done...._

_....Why did I tell her that...._

_.....Is this what I've become...._

_....A liar...._

_....Trigger....forgive me...._

Yuna felt more tears trail down her face.

_....I disgrace you as a friend...._

_....I should have been stronger...._

_....But all I am is weak...._

_...and wretched..._

_.......She deserves you......_

_...Not me..._

_..................................................._

_........................._

**_"Why did you leave me?"

* * *

__ACT I_**

__________________________

**_END_**

* * *

**_Chapter Fifteen: Ruthless Mind_**

**_Legends Interlude II: Imperfection_****_  
_**


	15. Paradox

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Interlude II : Imperfection_****_  
_**

_By Traingham

* * *

_

_**_______________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**_Episode Fifteen: Ruthless Mind_****_  
_**

**_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**

"Trigger..." Sera's tone was wistful as she held the sides of the blue reploid's face between her clawed hands. Her crimson eyes stared deeply into his and she saw her triumph over her eternal rival. She had finally seen the defeat that she had fought to attain in two lifetimes and she brought him closer to her so that their noses touched, forcing him to stand on the tip of his toes because of her height. The former commander's hands trembled ever so slightly as he reached up to grab the mother unit's wrists so that he could wrench himself from from her grips, but she would take no more resistance from him.

"S-Sera..." Trigger groaned her name, leaving himself open for her.

_"...Resist this." _Sera leaned in quickly after her challenge and she captured his lips, clearly with no intention of letting up. What he felt from her as she pressed her lips against his was a frightening hunger, one that made Alia's passionate desire for his acceptance pale in comparison on a feral level. What she forced on him was every hot flicker of emotion that she quelled beneath her cool exterior, a lifetime of confined passion that agonized her with every moment that passed in her imprisonment on Terra. Sera wanted to extinguish the barriers of their individuality and consume him entirely until he was an inseparable component that filled the empty hole that he punctured into her being with his existence. All of it threatened to overwhelm Trigger, and he was losing.

"URM?!" His eyes flared as wide as saucers when she invaded his mouth unexpectedly. He placed his hands against her chest and pushed away as hard as he could with his remaining strength, but it was too late for him to do anything at that point. An electric current flowed through him and his muscles went completely stiff. Paralysis had swept over him and he was hopeless to her as she violated the defenses that kept them apart from each. His consciousness flowed into her, burying him within the depths of slumber and there was a final twitch...

**_FLUMP..._**

Sera dropped Trigger's lifeless body to the ground and passed her tongue over her lips as she looked down upon the empty shell that had been housing the pure essence that made up the former commander, just seconds ago. She turned her head to look to the officers that had been spectators to the whole thing and they flinched in terror. _Your savior falls before your eyes and all you carbons can do is cower like children. One would predict as much._

_Yuna, can you hear me? _Sera tapped into her sister's mind through their telepathic bond. _I have Trigger with me. Have Caskett take off from the docks. We will be meeting with you shortly._

_Did he come quietly?_ The cold mother unit detected the worry in Yuna's voice. She likely assumed that her answer would not be very reassuring given her history with the purifier unit.

_No. _Sera answered her sister before reaching down to lift Trigger's body off the ground. She threw him over her shoulder and spread out her wings to take flight. _That is simply the way it is between us, Yuna. You should understand as much._

_...Yes. I do. _Yuna paused. _I'll alert Roll on the development._

Sera cut off from her sister and looked to Trigger's face. His expression was peaceful almost as if he had fallen asleep.

"Let's go then, Trigger."

* * *

**Elysium Memoirs**

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

_**~ Affection ~**_

A hand pats her on the head, her first contact with another individual since the time of her activation. Her eyes rise up to regard the owner of that hand to find The Master looking down upon her with a look in his eyes that is new to her. It is not awe or fascination that he conveys through his gentle, blue eyes. No, what he tells her without words--with simply a look-- is _'I am glad to see you.'_ A sensation rises on the back of her neck and tingles her spine, giving off pleasant shivers...

...She does not _know_ why...

The woman who was escorting her to meet her sister, youngest of the _EDEN,_ Veronica, looks to her with a grin on her face after The Master pulls his hand away and passes them with a warm farewell. "What do you think of him, Sera?" She asks the mother unit almost teasingly. "You and your sister will be working closely with him on occasion."

Sera turns to her, eyes hinting at no emotion. "Who is he?"

"We call him, The Master." Veronica answered her before flicking her right hand a few times casually. "Information about him should already be somewhere in your data, so I'm sure I don't need to explain anymore to you about him." She placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, though it seemed somewhat forced. Her hand was not resting on her shoulder so much as it was slightly hovering.

"The last remaining, _true_ human." Sera mused. "Yes, I know him well. My data tells me so, however, this is not from personal experience. Extensive study is required."

"That's fine..." Veronica nodded albeit, stiffly, and unlike a certain other mother unit, Sera either did not notice the impact of her own words, or simply did not care to mend the emotional gash that she verbally tore. That mention of him being the last _actual_ human stung a bit. "...Maybe Yuna can teach you to be a little nicer in the future."

Sera's eyes did nothing to indicate whether she understood the message that was implied. "Nicer?" The mother unit went into a contemplative silence. "Is this a required skill?"

Veronica felt her own head hang in disbelief. "...What?"

_**~ Sibling ~**_

Sera is met with an individual who is much like herself in more ways than one. They are practically mirror images of one another. Their eye color, hair color, skin tone, and manner of dress reflect, and yet Sera senses that this identical young woman possesses something that she lacks. She then realizes that while they seem identical, they are very much different. This girl's eyes gleamed with a certain life and energy that her dull eyes lacked. Her hair, unlike her own, was bound in such an unnecessary style that she felt a twinge deep within herself that disagreed with what she saw. After leaving her stasis capsule she asked that her hair was shortened in length. It got in the way. Another thing that contrasted between them was something that Sera could not exactly place, but it was significant. It was undeniably present within this girl, and within her it was undeniably absent.

...She does not _ask_ why...

"Sera!?" Yuna bounced up from her seat and rushed over to her sister upon her entering of the room with Veronica following behind her. "You're finally awake!" The gentle mother unit took both of her hands into her own and held them to her lips for a moment before lowering them, though not letting go.

"You are my sister?" Sera asked almost innocently.

"That I am!" Yuna nodded contently. "It's so good to finally come face to face with you. When Thomas told me that I had a sister I just couldn't wait to meet her." A curious expression came upon her face as she scrutinized her sister's hairstyle before the edges of her lips twitched upwards. "It suits you well, Sera!"

Sera surprised herself by blinking at Yuna's comment. "What suits me?"

"Your hairstyle." Yuna answered her with a warm grin. "I like how it looks on you." She was not met with a response from Sera immediately, but she did not seem to mind in the least. Her presence alone appeared to be enough for the gentle gynoid. Sera slipped her left hand away from Yuna and reached up to intertwine her finger with her own hair, uttering a quiet, "I see."

"Aren't you going to thank her, Sera?" Veronica asked of the short mistress expectantly, her tone implying that she foresaw this sort exchange happening. With such drastically different personalities interacting with one another there was bound to be the occasional misunderstanding. Yuna was the warm and caring personality while Sera happened to be the total opposite, cold and indifferent. Veronica found herself wondering why the two were so different from each other. Were twins not intended to be alike?

"Thank her?" Sera questioned Veronica as though it was a foreign concept to her. "What has she done to elicit such an act?"

"Uh....never mind, Sera..." Veronica hung her head in defeat.

_**~ Duty ~**_

His name is Wily, one of the senior members of the _EDEN_ aside from Thomas, Cain, and Claire. His physical age appears to be around the mid twenties, however, that is mostly due to the fact that he is one of the artificial humans that were made to govern Elysium. His actual age was already pushing the late forties. What was most noticeable about him, becoming somewhat of a recognizable trademark, was his hair style. If he started balding it would almost look as if wings were sprouting behind his head, and Sera almost entertained the idea of his mustache growing out the same way, but she dropped the thought before it could flourish any further. It was not important. What was important was that she fulfilled her duties as a mother unit. This was the reason why she was created in the first place. Everything else was only there to hinder everyone else. She was only to move forward.

...That was the point of _her_ existence...

Wily approached her, the tail of his lab coat floating along behind him like a cape. "The second one finally awakens." The hook nosed professor muttered to himself as if she had not been standing before him, within hearing distance. He circled around her once, scrutinizing her as he did, and stopped in front of her, once again stroking his chin. The expression on his face was unreadable. Sera could not determine whether he was dissatisfied with her or not.

"Do you know why you were created?" He asked her, his tone bored and dispassionate.

"To serve the_ EDEN_. I am the regulator and protector of the _Master System._ Should any threats to the system present themselves I am to eliminate them, and return order to the system. Should the system fail it is my duty to return it to its proper working efficiency by all means necessary." Sera answered him, much like a recording being played back and the man was satisfied with it. One might say that if she had presented herself any differently he would have had much different sentiments.

"Indeed." Wily nodded his head sagely. "That role should expand in due time."

"Expand?" That got her interest.

"Sera," Wily stepped over to the observation window beside them. The view overlooked the reploid district of the main city, "The reploids are a dying breed."He looked over his shoulder at her before adding, "And dangerous. The Maverick epidemic began long ago in 21XX, and it still remains a threat today. Do you know why?"

"Viral causes have been confirmed in the past."

"Unfortunately, you don't seem to grasp the bigger picture." He sounded disappointed in her. "The age of reploids must come to an end before they succeed in bringing our own." Sera did not respond to his words. She remained quiet and unmoving, eyes to his back until he turned around to face her. He pointed to her with a triumphant smirk, "And you will usher in the new age of servitors. It is your rightful role as the _superior_ model."

"Me....._superior_?"

**_~ Threat ~_**

He did not come before her and issue a challenge. He did nothing to taunt her, or to indicate that he had any malicious ambitions. The fire of destruction was not alight within his eyes, nor did the javelin of fate hang above his head wherever he walked. He was a mere reploid, one that would crumple in the face of her awesome might. She was superior to him in every way, whether it be intellect, rank, power; anything he possessed, she was sure to surpass without question. That was the design of things. That much could not be defied and yet she could not help, but feel a deep disturbance whenever his name was mentioned around her; He who had the audacity to share a friendship with The Master, a bond that she herself could never hope to ever reciprocate. HE who The Master would often smile at, a smile that with time, she had come to see much less of. HE who her sister, Yuna, would not go a day without expressing her admiration for. HE who council members, Rebecca and Veronica, often spoke of affectionately when patrol reports from the Maverick Hunter HQ were submitted.

...That _blue_ reploid was a threat to_ her_...

"Were you following me?" Yuna asked Sera suspiciously, eying her with a subtle mischievousness.

"Wily and Cain have made themselves clear in the past that they do not want you to venture into this district of the city." Sera replied, supplying her with no answer to her question. "If you wish to amuse yourself return to the main district where the humans reside."

"Turn back if you're so worried, Sera." Yuna retorted, concealing her annoyance of her nagging under a gentle smile. "We won't get caught," She looked over her shoulder at Gatz, "right, Gatz?"

Gatz showed no real indication of distress, but his words made it quite clear. "Mistress, must you be so rebellious? Mistress Sera is ri-"

"Traitor." Yuna shot him a frightening glare, silencing him instantly. She turned back to face forward and a delighted smile crossed her lips at who she saw walking their way. "I think...I think that's him, Sera!" The gentle mistress whispered to her sister delightedly as if she had just laid eyes on a world marvel. Sera looked away from her to get a look at what had lifted her mood so suddenly and her eyes narrowed slightly. Yes, she was sure that was him. She needed no one to clarify that for her.

Both, the red and blue reploids came to a halt in the distance after becoming fully aware that they were heading in their direction and Yuna took that as a sign that they were approachable. She took the invitation gladly, leading the way with Sera and their servitors following not far behind. Of course, Yuna, being the social flower that she was known to be, started the conversation before any one of the two reploids could utter a word of curiosity at the uncommon meeting that they were now experiencing.

"The First and Second commanders, I'd assume?" She questioned them, leaning over slightly, with her hands folded behind her back. The blonde reploid in crimson armor did not appear to be affected by her open friendliness to them, but the shorter, blue reploid appeared to be slightly surprised, unsure of what to make of it.

Despite that, they responded in unison. "Yes ma'am." The First commander remained focused on Yuna as she began talking again, however, Sera watched as the Second commander's eyes drifted toward her tensely, almost as if he had sensed that her eyes had been directed at him since the very moment they had come in contact.

"This is my fellow mother unit, Mistress Sera." Sera realized that her sister had just come to her introduction, but her eyes never parted from the Second commander's intense gaze. They were still locking swords in the midst of a silent duel that only they knew of.

The crimson commander went on to do his own introduction first. "I am first commander, Nero." His voice left his mouth in a deep baritone, one that was fit for a commanding type like himself. The Second commander's voice was not as deep, but a little smoother. It wasn't melodic in tone, but rather there was something about it that could draw an individual. It was soothing, in a certain manner that would calm any person that happened to be on edge, and just as he began his own introduction, "And I am-"

Sera felt the sudden urge to silence him, "--Trigger, commander of the second unit." Her unexpected verbal participation in the meeting took Yuna and the two commanders by surprise, particularly Trigger. The mother unit would never admit to it, but seeing him so vulnerable in those few seconds gratified her in a way that was near sinful. It shocked even herself, but she went on, "I'm quite familiar with you, Trigger."

"...Are you?" The blue reploid suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

__________________________________________

**_(((~"Sera? What was that about?"~)))_**

_"What?"_

_**(((~"You know exactly what. That wasn't very friendly."~)))**_

_"I do not know what you're referring to."_

_**(((~"Do you dislike, Trigger?"~)))**_

_"Dislike? I feel nothing for him."  
_

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_((That was a lie))_

((I simply did not recognize it as one, at the time))

* * *

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

_It is said that an individual is defined by the people that they surround themselves with. In my time of activation I have made little contact with others around the central city of the colony, and I find that in my small circle of acquaintances I can only identify aspects of myself through four individuals. The Master is a point of fascination for myself as I am always drawn to him whenever we meet or cross paths. Yuna's sole mission appears to be drawing out my inner humanity so that I can better relate to others. EDEN member, Wily, is a man that holds a high affinity for order and appears to be determined to instill that it within me as well. The last and most prominent is, Trigger, though I am at a loss as to why. One thing that is clear, however, is that he holds a spot within my thoughts whenever I am met with The Master. Because of this I have constantly found myself focused with thoughts of him regardless of whether I wish for it or not and...it grates me. _

_Why should my focus be drawn to an individual whose existence has absolutely no impact on my purpose as a guardian? I've driven myself into corners constantly with that question, because while I refuse to accept that Trigger holds absolutely no significance to me, he does. I have found the bane of my self interests within a twisted reflection of myself. The Master, who I can say without doubt, has the ability to take hold of me with a mere glance is drawn to an individual who embodies things that I can never hope to understand. It does not take long for me to come to the conclusion that Trigger is my natural enemy, put before me to open my eyes to just how imperfect I truly am. While I can fulfill the needs that are desired of me, my condition will forever bar me from what I desire._

_Does that make him perfect?_

_**....NO....**_

_I refuse to believe that Trigger, a purifier, a reploid, a being whose lineage has shown how imperfect they can be through their unpredictability, can ever be perfect. He can never be better than me and it is only a matter of time before he shows his true colors for what he is. Reploids...it matters not what they have done for humanity, because it is their eventual destiny to turn against it. The Maverick Epidemic and the wars that followed it all is proof of that, so what makes Trigger any different from the rest? Why does the Master favor a being who poses a threat to his life over me?_

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Trigger?" The Master said the name of the blue purifier after listening to Sera's question. "What is it that a favor about him?" The blonde man stepped around from his desk and approached her, his long hair swaying side to side with each step.

Sera nodded her head, "Yes, Master. I have noticed that the two of you meet quite often, which I find unusual considering how the Purifiers never make any direct contact with members of the _EDEN_ council. Would that not mean that it is by your authority that Trigger is allowed to ignore such protocol?"

"Why yes, it is." The Master laughed. "You certainly do pay attention, Sera."

"It is what is expected of me." Sera replied with a a slight bow of her head.

The young man's expression let down a bit at her words, the seriousness returning to his voice. "Yes...I suppose it is expected of you." He folded his hands behind his back and approached the window of his office, a view of the city stretching far out within his line of sight. "Sera, does it bother you that I allow Trigger to meet with me?" His question made the mother unit hesitate in her answer. She did not expect him to question her on the matter so it caught her off guard to be asked of her own personal feelings.

"...Yes. I suppose the thought of a reploid being alone with you does disturb me."

"Why?" He looked over his shoulder to regard her.

"Reploids...as you know, can be quite dangerous."

"I suppose that would have been your answer." His response bothered her for some reason, but she was unsure of why. "Reploids are indeed unpredictable. The chances of any of them going _'Maverick'_ is something that we cannot determine through our most extensive studies. It has come to the point that we're unsure of whether it is truly a condition or if it can merely be classified as an emotion."

"An emotion?"

"Yes," He turned away from the window to face her as he went on, "An emotion. Is it impossible for a reploid to feel anger? Is it impossible for them to feel any of the things that we humans do?"

"They are machines." Sera retorted. "How can they do anything more than what is demanded of them?"

"Have you ever seen a reploid cry?"

"No, I have not."

"But I have."

"An imitation, nothing more. Even animals can imitate human beings." Sera felt her patience wearing thin with each question that he asked her. "How do these questions relate to my question at all?"

The Master smirked, shaking his head before answering, "Because Trigger has considered such things. He is a questioner of things that most of us in the EDEN do our best to remain ignorant of and he has shown through his action that he is willing to find the answers for himself. Can you not help but admire him?"

"If you speak of his inability to carry out his own duties properly--"

"Bringing the Mavericks in for trial as opposed to retiring them?"

"Yes."

"Is that not compassion?" The Master asked her softly.

"What need has a hunter for _compassion_?" Sera's words had an edge even if she didn't realize it herself. "He is meant to erase life, not consider it."

"And there is beauty in that paradox."

________________________________________________________________________________________

_So there is beauty, not within the idea of perfection, but within imperfection. Where is the logic in that? Has it not been society's way to look down upon flaws? Is it not in the nature of humanity to strive for the ideal of perfection, precision and all that is without its mysteries? I represent that much and yet it is Trigger who is rewarded._

_I am troubled._

_I am confused._

_...._

_......._

_Very well, Trigger. This has become personal._

_

* * *

**To Be Continued**_

* * *

**_Chapter Sixteen: Recognition of Hate_**

**_Legends Interlude II : Imperfection_****_  
_**


	16. Irrational Heart

Disclaimer: _If you're reading this, you probably wished you owned it too..._

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Interlude II : Imperfection_****_  
_**

_By Traingham_

_

* * *

_

**_Episode Sixteen: Recognition of Hate_**

**_

* * *

_**

**_[ Elysium Memoirs ]_**

"I must go now, Master." Trigger spoke to 'The Master' as he rose from the stone bench that he was seated on. "I should be returning to HQ."

"Oh...really?" The blonde man asked, the disappointment clear in his voice that they had to part. They had spoken for quite a while already, but he wanted to carry their conversation along a little longer if possible. There were not many people in Elysium that he could freely discuss his thoughts with, nor were there many individuals who had it within themselves to ponder the two sides of the coin that separated the humans from the reploids. Standing from his seat on the fountain side, The Master sighed, "That's a shame. I really wanted to hear more about your friends. I've never had the pleasure of speaking with commander Nero and Iris personally."

Trigger managed a small smirk, "Perhaps you should make time when available." The reploid suggested, hands crossed behind his back respectfully, "I'm sure they would be honored to meet with you."

The Master smiled at this, though it felt forced, "I'd certainly like that, but I'm sure that the others would not approve of me having so many different visitors...reploid visitors, that is." He gestured to Trigger, the smile wavering, "You're an exception." His smile wavered when his words caused a frown to form on the handsome reploid's lips. Privileged was probably the last that the second commander felt, digesting that information. His next words to him made that all the more clear to the EDEN member.

"I see." Trigger nodded slowly, his calm voice doing nothing to betray what he felt at that moment. "I suppose that makes it all the more reason for me to take my leave of you, Master. " With a slight bow the blue reploid took his leave, disappearing around the corner of a tall bush wall to make his way to the exit of the garden maze. The Master's eyes lingered for a time on the floor where his dear friends stood before he shook his head with a long sigh.

Yuna was standing at the entrance alone when Trigger came out, catching him off guard for understandable reasons. Judging from the way her expression shifted from that of neutral boredom to her usual cheer faster than he could manage a blink, she must have been awaiting his arrival the entire time he was conversing with The Master in the garden. He suspected as much because he noticed Yuna following him and The Master from a distance when they were walking to the garden earlier. Her spying skills were almost as good as Alia's in that aspect, which could have been easily summed up in a single word: terrible.

"You finally returned!" The gentle mother unit exclaimed to him, feigning disbelief with wide eyes. Trigger simply blinked at her, once again mesmerized by her incredible array of emotions. "For a moment I was convinced that The Master was planning to have you live there."

Trigger blinked again. "That's actually quite unlikely." He denied the probability.

"It's a joke, Trigger." She explained. "You're supposed to be amused, you know?"

"It wasn't very effective." His blunt response got a predictably negative reaction from his friend.

"You sound exactly like Sera." Yuna grumbled, furrowing her brows before looking very concerned with herself. _Does this mean that Veronica and Rebe- _Almost as if the two council members in question had read the mother unit's mind, they popped out from behind a few bushes in the background. The second commander took notice of them as they power walked in their direction and quirked an eyebrow curiously.

"Why, Trigger, I see that you came on another visit." Rebecca, the eldest of the two women greeted him with noticeable affection apparent in her voice. Her gray hair, normally bound in a tight bun, was let down today, hinting at her relaxed mood.

"And it looks like Yuna got a hold of you already." Veronica teased, brushing one of her gray bangs away from her left eye. "I suppose it's better this way though. With you here we don't have to worry about her sneaking off to the reploid district."

"...Ahem..." Rebecca cleared her throat, perking Veronica up when she realized the slip of tongue.

"Not that we're particularly aware of such instances." The younger council member corrected her mistake, unwittingly making it worse in the process and prompting a sharp look from Rebecca. "I'll stop talking now."

"Its always a pleasure to have you here, Trigger." Rebecca told him warmly before a mischievous smile crossed her lovely lips. "I just wish you would stop favoring The Master so much. There are others here who would like your company, you know." Her warmth was not lost on Trigger, neither were the implications of her words, but for some reason he could not find it within himself to appreciate her sentiments at the moment. The impact of The Master's words still weighed heavily upon his mind.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Trigger spoke up politely.

"Rebecca is fine." The EDEN council member corrected him. "You can drop the formalities, commander."

"Okay...Rebecca." Trigger addressed her with a nod, pausing to consider his next words. "...Is my presence here...a disturbance to the other members of the council?" His question made the warm expression in Rebecca's face falter. Veronica's reaction to his words was similar, the cheerful expression on her lovely face falling away into a slight frown. He really managed to put them on the spot with that one.

"That was rather straight-forward of you, Trigger." Rebecca remarked, crossing one of her arms along her waist while stroking her chin with her other hand. "Well, I suppose there is no use in hiding it. There are a few of the members here who do not approve of your visits to the main building, but such feelings are not based upon your character. I, for one, admire you as an individual, however, there are those among us who are not willing to take the time to examine you as an individual. They only see you as a reploid and nothing more."

The commander took her response calmly, his face betraying none of his emotions. "Being a hunter, I feel that I can sympathize with that view to an extent, but if they remain unwilling to understand those who share the colony with them, how can they ever hope to co-exist without fear?"

Veronica stepped forward and gripped his hand, holding it between her own. "Trigger..." The woman managed to meet his eyes despite the shame that clawed at her conscience. "...Sometimes you'll come across people that...well..." She tried to search for the words to continue, but Rebecca came to relieve her before she had to, placing a hand upon her arm so she would back away from Trigger.

"Rationality is a rare thing to come across, Trigger." Rebecca told him with a somber smirk. "And I hope that you never need to confirm that for yourself. There are those people who don't wish to try and understand what it is they do. Sometimes they just do it because it makes them comfortable, or because something scares them and they just want to make that _'something'_ disappear."

"Fear..." The reploid said in a low voice.

Rebecca nodded, looking him directly in the eyes. "That's right...fear."

"And there are people who fear me?" Trigger asked, the tone in his voice hard to place. Veronica rubbed her left arm, unable to fight back the goosebumps that struck her at the moment the commander uttered those words. Yuna, who had been silently observing from the side up to this point, shifted her posture uncomfortably as if she wanted to approach Trigger, but could not decide whether it was the proper thing to do. The only person that remained unaffected, or at least managed to make it seem that way, was Rebecca, keeping her eyes squared with his as she answered his question without a slightest hesitation, or detectable waver in her voice.

"Yes, there are."

"...Complex..." He mumbled, turning his head away from her slightly.

"But, Trigger, I don't fear you." Yuna spoke up immediately, approaching him without a shred of doubt present in her. "In fact, I feel far more comfortable whenever you're near me then when you're away."

"M-Me, too." Veronica added, a small smile on her face, though she did not approach him. "I guess that's just one of the characteristics about you, Trigger. You make others feel secure."

The second commander was caught off guard when Rebecca wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and practically buried his face into her rather generous bosom. "It's very difficult not to adore you, Trigger. Of all the people I know, none of them can fill me with such warmth, not like you can." She held him away much to his relief. "Veronica, for once, has said it best. That's just something that comes naturally for you."

Trigger managed to force a smile, "Thank you." And he remained there with the three women, talking with them and enjoying their welcoming presence, though Yuna appeared to be set on taking him away from the two EDEN members so she could spend time with him alone. Unfortunately for the gentle mother unit, Rebecca and Veronica were well aware of Yuna's barely concealed efforts and ignored them, striking conversation with Trigger so that his focus would not be stolen away from them by her. Unbeknownst by the four of them, there was a pair of eyes observing them from afar, although it would have been more precise to say that they were simply watching Trigger. Studying his behavior and his interactions with the women, most particularly, Yuna.

"Trigger..." Sera spoke the name of her nemesis, watching from behind a window in one of the upper floors of the main building. She stood there, a solitary figure, detached from the personnel that walked behind her as her focus remained on the sight below her. To the people the passed her she remained still in such a way that some had mistaken her for a statue, but none of them did anything to disturb her from her watching...with the exception of the man that was watching _her_. A dark shadow loomed behind her silently and the mother unit turned slowly, staring her observer dead in the eyes without so much as a twitch in her expression. "Professor Wily."

The hook nosed professor stared down at her beneath his bushy eyebrows with a twitch of his long mustache, "You've been standing here for quite some time, Sera."

"I realize that." She responded in her usual unaffected manner.

"What is it that has caught your attention?" The EDEN council member looked past her, directing his eyes to the group standing below. "Rebecca and Veronica, hrm." The man said will a low grumble, seemingly overlooking Yuna as if he had not seen her standing with the two women. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the fourth member of the group. "Ah...it makes sense now." His eyes swiveled back to regard Sera, almost suspiciously. "Come with me, Sera. I'd like to speak with you privately."

Sera nodded unblinkingly, "Yes, Professor."

**_..._**

**_..._**

"Sera," Wily looked to the short mother unit from behind his desk, his hands folded underneath his chin, "I'm beginning to get the impression that Yuna is a bad influence on you." The _EDEN_ member's brow furrowed at the mention of the gentle mother unit. He clearly did not think very well of her. "We were soft on her, so we can only blame ourselves for her rebelliousness, but you...I'm quite disappointed. Tell me, why is it that you have been making trips to the reploid district?"

"..." Sera offered no answer.

"What's wrong, Sera?" Wily raised a bushy eyebrow. "Surprised? Were you under the impression that we didn't keep surveillance on you? Both Yuna and yourself are very important to the future development of the colony, so, of course, we would want to keep a close eye on your personal growth as individuals. Now I've made this clear to Yuna, however, unlike her I am sure that you would have a better understanding when I say that the reploids have nothing to offer you."

Sera nodded her head stiffly, "Of course not."

"As I said before, the reploids are a dying breed. They have no place in your future, so it would only be a waste of your time to meddle with them." He laid his hands down on the surface of his desk and fixed her with a stern stare, not quite unlike that of a father reprimanding one of his children. "Is that understood?"

"Understood." The mother unit replied with another stiff nod.

"Good. Now, tell me exactly what it was that caught your interest down there."

"..."

_**[****[**"Sera?" The sight of Trigger turning around to face her is vivid in Sera's mind. The blue reploid seems hesitant to speak any further at the beginning, obviously very unsettled to find himself meeting with her yet again, but his expression hardens after successfully gathering his own wits, "Is there a reason why you're becoming a familiar sight on my patrols?"**]]**_

"The commander of the second hunter unit." Sera answered the professor after a long pause.

"Trigger." Wily spoke the name of the second commander softly almost as if saying it any louder would summon him to the room. "Why would that particular reploid catch your interest?" He studied the mother unit's boy language after he posed the question to her. The normally stoic and unflinching gynoid's left hand clenched and unclenched very slowly, bringing the professor to raise an eyebrow curiously at the odd reaction.

"It is hard to explain."

"How could that be so?" Wily cocked his head to the side, slightly disappointed with her response. "Surely a being of your intellect would find means of expression an easy task."

"He disturbs me."

"Disturbs you?" The gentleman behind the desk looked interested again. "What about him disturbs you?"

"As I said before..." Sera's eyes narrowed somewhat as she went on, "It is hard to explain."

"...Interesting." Wily nodded to himself, standing from his seat fluidly, the tail of his long, gray jacket flapping as he walked around the desk. "Would you say that you dislike Trigger?"

"Dislike?" Sera echoed him, a hint of unease present in her voice for the first time. "I don't understand what it is you mean to ask me, professor."

"Does the idea of him being near you stir negative thoughts?" Wily approached her until she stood within his shadow. "Does his presence make you uncomfortable?"

"...I am...unsure."

Wily turned away from her, walking back to the front of his desk. "Very interesting, indeed."

"What is?"

"That you should react to Trigger of all individuals." Wily replied, "It must be something about him that simply draws the eyes. The Master was taken by him at their first meeting, and it appears that mistress Yuna views him as some sort of heroic figure, unaware of the frightening possibilities that such a reploid represents with his mere existence alone."

"You speak of his susceptibility to the _'Maverick phenomenon'_?"

"No, that is nothing compared to what I am referring to." Wily pressed his index finger against the surface of his desk and the digital display responded, displaying things that Sera could not make out from her angle of view. The professor appeared to be going through files, running his hand against the surface of the display to go through them with light flicks of his wrist as he continued speaking, "Trigger is an exceptional reploid, particularly because of the data that his foundation is based off. The 'X' program is...unpredictable in the simplest of terms. When professor Ciel launched the Gemini Project, for the purpose of giving life to the protectors of Elysium, she was hesitant to access the program for that sole reason, however, she decided to give it a final chance, not as a means of protection, but as a lab assistant."

"A lab assistant?" Sera blinked. "Trigger was originally a non-combat reploid?"

"No, Trigger came much later." Wily shook his head. "The reploid I speak of was named 'Aria' by professor Ciel."

"Aria?" Sera paused, searching her files for the name, but- "Her file is not present within my database."

"She shouldn't be." Wily told her. "She isn't present in Yuna's files either."

"Why?"

"It was the decision of Ciel not to have them recorded."

"I do not understand."

Wily turned away from his desk, holding out a small object in his hand that resembled a short slip of tape. "With this it should become a little more clear to you."

* * *

_**[ ****Sera's Quarters ]**_

_**

* * *

**_

_"Come on, you two, pose for the photo!" _Ciel's voice cries out from off screen as two female scientists stand side by side in lab coats. The tallest of the two, a rather serious looking woman with long, dark hair and emerald eyes stares back at the camera without showing any indication of cooperating with the professor's plea. She crosses her arms beneath her chest and simply tilts her head slightly to the side as if her words confuse her. _"Aria!" _Ciel whines, clearly dispirited by her lack of cooperation. _"At least try to smile for me!"_

_She smiles._

___This is Aria, the first reploid born from the Gemini Project; Gender: Female; Height: 180 cm; Weight:57kg. The initial idea was that she would serve as a hunter, a protector of Elysium and its humans, however, Professor Ciel had an immediate change of heart when she recalled the unpredictability of the 'X' program. This would, of course, be a reference to the Neo Arcadian leader 'Master X', an infamous figure in both human and reploid history. Getting back to the matter of Aria, Ciel decided to assign her the duty of lab assistant instead so as to ensure that she would always be under her surveillance. Amusingly, this last minute decision proved to work well for Elysium as Aria turned out to be a brilliant scientist, not only assisting in the refining of the Gemini Project, but also with the issue of energy maintenance in the Elysium colony allowing for more efficient management of the failing generator in the F Block of the west city, a problem that would have possibly resulted in the death of all inhabitants of the colony had it gone on for another six hundred and thirty-seven days within its meltdown phase._

_Naturally the credit for the breakthrough went to professor Ciel, leaving Aria out of the spotlight, however, there was never any protest from the reploid scientist. She remained in the shadow of her mother willingly, only doing her best to further boost the credibility of the scientist so that the EDEN council would finally appoint Professor Ciel with a position in the council as a truly valued individual of Elysium, a title that was undoubtedly well deserved by the scientist. Sadly this was never made possible due to the continual refusal of two of its members. (Their names are not stated within the record.) Aria's career as a scientist ends with the fourth ever recorded maverick incident on Elysium. A direct attempt on council member Wily's life had taken place within the lobby of the main EDEN building by reploid subject #0039. Aria's intervention saved his life, marking her first time to ever engage in combat as the hunter she was originally intended to be. Her quick thinking and swift execution was noted by the council, and with an understandably reluctant approval from Professor Ciel, Aria was made the chief commander of the Hunter HQ-_

"Sera?"

Sera tapped a button on her desk and the record that was playing vanished in a wink of light before she swiveled around in her chair to face the person that called her name. "Yuna..." She addressed her sister in her usual tone, though with sharp hearing one would have been able to detect the faintest hint of an inflection in her voice. "Do you have any need of assistance from me?" She looked as if she was about to stand from her chair, but Yuna stopped her with a halting gesture.

"No, nothing like that." The gentle mother unit told her sister gently with a grin. "I just heard you talking to yourself in here so I decided to check in and see how you were doing." She took her spot behind Sera's chair and leaned over so that she was hovering over her sister. The cold mother unit turned slightly and looked up at Yuna's smiling face, obviously wanting to get through with this quickly so she could go back to viewing the report Wily gave her. "Is everything alright?"

"Nothing is wrong." Sera assured her, leaning back in her seat after turning away. "What would give you that impression?"

"I haven't seen you all day." Yuna grumbled, displeasure clear in her voice. "I thought that maybe you might have been in trouble."

"Trouble?" Sera might have scoffed it was within her emotional range. "That is something far more suited for you, Yuna."

Yuna smirked, "Well, I can't get away with everything." She leaned forward on Sera's chair, "I behaved today, though."

"Is that so?" The cold mother unit humored her, looking to the side out of Yuna's view. "You didn't chase after Trigger today?"

"I didn't need to." Yuna responded cheerfully, "He came to the main building this afternoon."

_Yes, I know that much..._ Sera thought with a slight frown. "For what?"

"I'm not sure..." Yuna paused before going on, "When I met with him he had just come from The Master's garden, so I suppose he was requested for another visit."

"A likely assumption." The short gynoid mused in a low voice. _** [[** "It must be something about him that simply draws the eyes. The Master was taken by him at their first meeting, and it appears that mistress Yuna views him as some sort of heroic figure, unaware of the frightening possibilities that such a reploid represents with his mere existence alone." _EDEN member Wily's dark silhouette materialized within her mind like a chilling reminder of their earlier conversation._ **]] **_Sera regarded Yuna over her shoulder, "I'll have to ask you to leave, Yuna."

"Whaaat?" Her sister's expression immediately indicated at disappointment. "Can't we be together a little longer? These days we hardly get any time together."

Sera shook her head, "Unfortunately I have an assignment to complete for Professor Wily."

"Wily..." Yuna's expression soured at the mention of the man. It might not have been wrong for one to assume that she did not hold any semblance of fondness for the hook nosed professor. There was simply something about his whole life philosophy that did not particularly agree with her, and since he seemed to hold a bit of dislike for her for whatever reason, the feeling had naturally become mutual. The fact that he was playing such a heavy influence on Sera did not sit well with her at all. "You two spend a great deal of time together."

"It is required if I am to understand the ethics of the EDEN. Is it not the same with you and Rebecca?"

"True." The gentle mother unit nodded, rolling her eyes slowly. "But is it necessary for you to be by his side all the time?"

"He came to me." Sera corrected her sister. "I did not come to him."

"Exactly," Yuna exclaimed, "Why not attend to Professor Thomas, or The Master instead?"

"Thomas's interests lie far to heavily upon the lives of the reploids, a subject of no remote interest to me." Sera replied almost contemptuously. "And The Master..." She paused, her gaze lowering to the surface of her desk. "...The Master is far too busy with his own duties to bother with me."

"That is not true, Sera." Her sister retorted firmly. "You're just making excuses. I'm sure he would be more than happy to have your company."

"That aside, I still have my assignment to complete." Sera brushed off her words, folding her hands upon her desk. "Please leave, Yuna."

"I suppose there's no helping it then." Yuna backed off from her sister's seat and headed for the door, stopping in front of it when it hissed open. "But Sera..."

Sera looked to her sister's back, "Yes?"

"...Nothing." Yuna seemed to take back what she was going to say, leaving the room and her sight. Sera noted her peculiar response, staring at the door for a period of time as if she expected her sister to return and finish what she intended to say, but when the moment was passed she turned back to the monitor on her desk and waved her hand at the open door to have it close.

"Lock." The cold mother unit ordered to no one in particular, making sure the green light over the entry way to her room blinked blue before fully dropping her guard again. When she was confident that there would be no more interruptions she sat back in her seat and tapped the surface of her desk, watching the image of Aria in her combat armor project before her eyes in hologram form. The hunter commander looked heroic, perhaps even a bit intimidating with the way her eyes simply stared out into the distance, glaring at some unknown adversary. It was somewhat hard to believe that she had been a scientist before she had become a warrior.

Sera stared into the hologram's eyes, "Aria..." The mother unit's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, "...what it your relation to _Trigger_?" She rested her right hand along the desk, resting her cheek in the other.

"Resume the record."

**_..._**

**_..._**

**_*Knock*Knock*_**

EDEN member Wily switched on the camera outside his office to see Sera standing at his door. "It's open." With the permission for entry given, his office door hissed open and the mother unit walked in, approaching his desk with a noticeable purpose in her step. If the professor had not known any better he might have gotten the impression that she was in a very sour mood, which was, of course, impossible for Sera...he assumed. "Finished viewing the records, I see." Wily said when she stopped in front of him, her expression deadpan as usual.

"This record is incomplete." Sera stated, her tone noting disapproval.

"It gives the necessary information." Wily replied, folding his hands underneath his chin. "In that aspect it is complete."

"What became of Aria?"

"I see no point in revealing that information."

Upon receiving his reply Sera stood silently, examining the look in the professor's eyes. "Very well...then tell me this. Did she become a maverick?"

"...Well, the answer to that is obvious, isn't it?"

"No." Sera concluded, deciding that could have been the only answer. "Elysium couldn't handle that possibility."

"Exactly. If a reploid of Aria's class ever went _maverick_, Elysium would have faced a threat the likes of nothing we could have ever prepared for."

"I see...does Trigger have any knowledge regarding her existence?"

Wily shook his head in reply, "The council decided that it was best for any memory of her to be wiped from his data." The professor leaned back in his chair when Sera pressed both of her hands against the surface of his desk, leaning forward and demanding, "What is a reploid of his origin still doing active on the colony? Assuming that measures were taken to have Aria removed, why wasn't the same done for Trigger?"

"It was my suggestion that we do away with him, but Professor Ciel and three members of the council had been against it." Wily furrowed his brow roughly as if recalling the event in his mind. "In the end even The Master had agreed to keep the reploid on the colony as an active hunter, pushing the decision through without any resistance from the others."

"Illogical..." Sera whispered under her breath, turning away from Wily. "It doesn't make any sense. What would Elysium gain from having such a risk on board?"

Her musing was not lost on Wily, who simply smirked at her behavior. "I suppose there is only one person you could ask that question to."

**_..._**

**_..._**

The Master looked over his shoulder from the view of the reploid district through his window when there was a hiss from the door to his quarters. Mistress Sera walked in after offering him a respective bow and he turned fully to face her with a smile, though Sera could not help but notice that it was slightly forced on his part. She felt that it appeared less and less genuine for her every time they met like this. "Is the council in need of me, Sera?" The blonde haired youth asked reflexively, gathering the hem of his robe in one hand so as to make it easier for him to approach her from the window. The mother unit drank in the sight of him with her usual unflinching gaze, finding it hard to form the words for her response for a fleeting moment

Sera shook her head gently, "No, Master. I came here on personal matters." Her reply apparently caught him off guard as his eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, I apologize for that." He told her sincerely, gesturing to one of the seats in front of his desk. "It's just that..." He hesitated to say more, brushing his words away with a grin. "...n-nevermind. Please have a seat, Sera."

"Thank you, Master." She obliged him without a second of hesitation, settling down in one of the chairs almost robotically.

"It's rare that we ever meet like this." He commented with a soft chuckle, "I'd begun to think that you had forgotten about me."

"That...would be impossible, Master." Sera assured him, leaning forward in her seat as she did.

"I know." He waved off her concern. "I was just teasing. Still your duties make it hard for you to tend to your own personal matters, so it just surprised me that you would take a moment out of your day to speak with me."

"Ah..." Sera averted her eyes for a moment before regarding him seriously, "There was a matter that I wished to discuss with you privately. It regards Trigger."

"Trigger?" The Master echoed her questioningly, interest gleaming in his blue eyes. "It has occurred to me that he is a subject of great interest to you."

Sera blinked, "I...suppose that may be true, but my reasons are purely work related."

"How so?"

"I have recently come across some disturbing information about him." She studied the look in The Master's eyes. The normally tranquil look in them had gained such a sharpness that she was sure he had an idea of what she was referring to. "By your reaction I can only assume that you know what it is I am referring to."

"Enlighten me." He told her, his face hardening into a mask that betrayed none of his thoughts. "What information?"

"It ties to his relation to the former reploid scientist, Aria."

"Once again, you surprise me, Sera." The Master smirked. "How was it that you acquired this information."

"That is not important, sir." Sera responded with an apologetic bow of her head. "I simply wish to understand your reason for keeping Trigger active on Elysium, and on a more concerning note, why you insist on having him near. A reploid such as himself poses a threat to your well being as well as to the others of the council."

"On the contrary, Sera. He is the safest reploid to have beside me." The Master corrected her, "In his service as a hunter he has shown nothing, but loyalty to both the humans and his fellow reploids."

"That can change someday."

"And why would you say that?"

"He is a reploid...one that is governed by his own will."

"The same could be said of everyone else on this colony." He stared deeply into her eyes. "What stops you from hating or loving another? Are you a slave to the EDEN and its laws, or do you willingly work for the sake of the humans on the colony?"

"...Love and hate...I know nothing of such emotions, but to answer your question, I serve the colony because it is my purpose."

"...I see." A truly sad expression washed over the blonde man's feminine features, distressing the cold mother unit. "Sera...what is it that you feel for your sister? Do you not...care for her?"

"Care? Care for Yuna?" Sera stared at him, but her thoughts had drifted elsewhere. "I feel companionship for her. She is my sister so I...feel that she is...necessary."

"Necessary? What do you mean _'necessary'_?"

"I mean to say that...she...must...exist for my purpose to be fulfilled." Sera stumbled over her words, seemingly unsure of them.

"Hmm..." The Master smiled, knowingly. "And if she were to disappear one day, what then?"

"If Yuna was to disappear?" Sera blinked. "...What is it that you mean to ask me?"

"I mean, if Yuna were to vanish and never return."

"That would be impossible."

"No...it is quite possible." The Master told her in his melodic voice, full of confidence in his own words. "Nothing is impossible to imagine when it pertains to something as fickle as life."

"...I would not allow such a thing to happen."

"Why?"

"Because...she must...exist..." Once again, Sera found it quite difficult to express herself to him. Almost as if it irritated her, she narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "What does this have to do with my question, Master? What importance my sister plays in my role on the colony has nothing to do with Trigger. How does this conversation hold any relevance to his situation?"

"Perhaps you should talk to him, Sera." The Master suggested. "Maybe then you'll understand why. You see, Trigger is a fascinating individual..._because_ he understands."

"Understands?" His reason escaped her. "I don't grasp what you're telling me..."

"Why don't you think it over tonight?" He walked over to her and placed a hand on her head, surprising her when he stroked her hair in a fatherly manner. "Tomorrow, meet with him. I give you my full permission to visit the reploid district and speak with him. It will be the only way you'll ever find the answer to this question that disturbs you so." His last words left his lips in an amused tone.

Sera looked up at him, contemplating his words before, "Very well...I'll do that."

* * *

_**[ Eighteen Hours Later, The Reploid District ]**_

_**

* * *

**_

Trigger stretched out with a yawn, "And now begins our second patrol." He said to no one in particular, turning to regard his fellow hunter commander, Nero. The crimson commander looked as though he was fairing better than his blue counterpart as far as sleep was concerned, blinking at him curiously before a rare smirk crept upon his handsome features.

"What kept you up?" Nero asked, pulling his blonde locks back to adjust the band holding his pony tail. "Alia didn't discuss her nightmares with you last night, did she?"

"What would give you that idea?" The second commander quirked a brow at Nero.

"Um...It's just that Iris told me-" Nero's sentence came to an abrupt stop as he shook his head. "-No, never mind. It must be a female thing."

"Right..." Trigger nodded, not fully comprehending what that meant. "So which sector of the city were you assigned for today?"

"Block H." Nero answered, crossing his arms with a toss of his hair. "Pleasure that will be..." He grumbled, not bothering to hide his dislike for the sector. It was, after all, the closest sector to the human district, which meant that if anything were to go wrong he was going to be in for some hateful complaints from the citizens if he allowed something to slip by, or worse, a suspension. "...What sector were you assigned?"

"The F block." Trigger replied nonchalantly.

"Ciel smiles down upon you today, lucky bastard." Nero sighed enviously. "You'll have it easy this afternoon."

"I think I deserve it."

Nero grinned at his friend, "Yeah, sure you do." He gave him a rough pat across the back that almost succeeded in knocking him down to the ground. The second commander wanted to think that the force behind it had nothing to do with that envious sigh earlier, but for some reason the friendly grin on Nero's face began to look a little less genuine in its nature. "Take it easy!"

"Likewise." Trigger shot back before parting ways with him, walking in the direction of the F block. He passed a few of the residential buildings, and crossed the bridge suspended over the body of water that separated block D from block F where he met with his sub-commander Alia halfway. The blonde reploid offered him a salute with a warm smile on her lovely face, taking a moment to move a strand of her long, blonde hair to the side of her face where it didn't get in the way of her green eyes.

"Afternoon, commander."

"Afternoon, Alia." Trigger returned the greeting. "Nothing suspicious to report on your first shift?"

"Not at all." She answered him. "Today should be pretty calm, I hope."

"I hope so, too." He concurred before offering a parting nod, "I'll see you again later tonight if nothing comes up before then." He walked past her, proceeding on his way to the other side of the bridge, but-

"Um, commander?" Alia's voice stopped him in his walk.

He turned around, "Yes, Alia?"

"...Iris told me about this place in the E block...and..."

"Not while we're on duty." Trigger stopped her, not realizing the mistake he made in doing that. "Tell me later."

Alia's eyes sharpened on him frighteningly at his rash interruption, sending cold shivers through him as she snapped, "Fine, then! Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, commander!" With that she whipped around and walked away without another word, leaving the confused reploid to stare at her fleeting form without a clue of what he did to trigger such a reaction.

"...Must be a female thing." He muttered to himself in an echo of his friend's earlier words before turning away to walk off as he originally intended, but he didn't get far without encountering another familiar face. When he reached the other end of the bridge leading to the F block, he stopped in his tracks and blinked a few times to make sure that he was not mistaken in who he saw waiting for him on the other side. It was almost surreal the way she just stood there, her back against the rail as she kept her eyes on him without a word. He was almost too scared to move forward.

"...Mistress Sera?" Trigger addressed her questioningly, ignoring the nauseous feeling in his chest. "What are you doing down here?"

Sera leaned forward to get away from the rail and approached him. "I came to see you."

Trigger blinked. "...You're not here to lecture me again, are you?" He asked, the annoyance faint in his voice, but present nonetheless. "I'm on patrol so I don't have any time to-"

"No, Trigger." The cold gynoid cut him off. "I'm here because I want you to escort me around the district. There is much that I would like to learn about."

_What the-she sound just like... _"You want me to escort you-wait, did Yuna put you up to this?"

"Yuna has nothing to do with this, Trigger." She replied, crossing her arms in a rather rare display of open irritation. For some reason she wasn't as conscious of her body language whenever she dealt with this particular individual. "I've already informed the Hunter HQ. Another reploid officer should be arriving soon to take your place as the patrolman in this block. That should keep your position secure while you spend the rest of the day with me."

Trigger was speechless, staring at her as though she had just fallen from the sky. "...W-What's going on here? Why do you want to spend the day with me?" He felt the need to repeat himself, because it honestly needed repeating. "With me." He emphasized his last words, placing a hand on his chest.

"Yes, I realize that this comes off as a bit odd to you." She told him, resting her hands on her hips. "However, I must ask that you put your personal feelings aside. This experiment won't progress smoothly without your cooperation."

"Experiment?" The hunter commander sounded intrigued.

**_..._**

**_..._**

Trigger stared at Sera suspiciously behind a hot cup of tea as the mother unit casually stirred the contents of her own cup with a silver spoon. Twenty minutes prior to when they received their drinks, the cafe patio that they were seated on had tables filled from corner to corner with chatting reploids discussing their private matters over hot drinks and pastries, but for some reason as soon as they all caught a glimpse of Sera sitting at a table with the hunter commander they all vanished, leaving the two of them as the only customers eating out on the street. Sure, he suspected as much when he observed the reactions Yuna received from the reploid populace on their walks together, but it appeared as though the mother units were not a welcome sight in the district. Unlike Yuna who expressed a strong interest in the reploid culture and desired to be a part of it, Sera did not appear to be bothered by their immediate need to flee the area whenever she was present among them. She accepted it as though it was the natural order of things for them to fear and dislike her.

"Have you ever had tea before?" The purifier finally decided to open his mouth when the silence got to him.

Sera raised her gaze from her cup and nodded, "Yuna has made a habit of inviting me to her room for tea and conversation on occasion." She tapped the rim of her cup with her spoon to shake off any stubborn drops of tea that remained before setting it down and lifting the cup to her lips. After taking a long sip she set it down and returned her attention to Trigger. "Why do you ask?"

Trigger blinked, not expecting her to ask a question in reply, "It n-never occurred to me that you partook in such simple pleasures."

"Simple pleasures?" The mother unit said questioningly. "Such as?"

"...Well, conversation over a cup of tea, for instance." He replied, waving his hand over his own cup of tea to set the image for his example. "A warm bath...spending time with friends. That sort of thing."

"I never viewed it that way." Sera admitted, tracing the rim of her cup with one of her fingers.

"Do you have friends, Sera?" The second commander inquired carefully, not wanting to seem too curious about her personal life.

"Friends?" Sera blinked. "...I don't believe I do."

Trigger remained silent for a moment before asking, "And what do you consider Yuna to be?"

"My sibling."

"Do you feel close to her?"

"How so?"

"...I mean...emotionally."

"...I don't understand the question." Sera told him honestly. "Is there a personal objective behind these unnecessary inquiries?"

The implications of her unexpected exchange caught him off guard, causing him to blurt out, "No, of course not!"

"Then why ask me these questions?"

"I suppose...I can't help, but be curious about you." He answered her truthfully, returning to his composed self. "You're so different from Yuna. She's so open about herself, so willing to discuss her own personal thoughts and opinions to others that sometimes she comes off as a bit overbearing in her affectionate nature, but you...in the little time that I've spoken to you since we met so long ago...you've been very reserved about yourself."

"You are curious about me?" Sera asked, surprising the reploid with a sigh. "How would understanding me benefit to you in any way? You're a maverick hunter and I am a member of the EDEN...any information about me would be needless to you." She rested her cheek in one hand, staring at him intensely as she continued tracing the rim of her tea cup with her other hand. "Knowing this, are you still curious about me?"

"Yes."

Sera slipped her finger away from the rim of her cup, lifting it to her lips to take another sip. "You intrigue me, Trigger."

"Huh?" He had not expected that reply. "Why is that?"

"You're very irrational." She explained, "You do things that I cannot begin to understand. You question, you contemplate, you consider...all of these things are not required of you and yet you _do, _and instead of being censured for it you are praised, you are adored, you are wanted. I am unable to grasp what it is that sets you apart from the other reploids of Elysium, but no matter how hard I analyze you I find nothing that can be categorized as exceptional." Trigger stared at her from the other side of the table silently as she went on with her rant, "The Master regards you as a close friend, Rebecca and Veronica welcome you with uncharacteristic warmth, your companions look up to you despite your unresolute views as a hunter, and Yuna radiates at the sight of you. It all escapes me...and yet when I speak to you now, somehow...for reasons that I am loathe to admit...it makes sense...but..." Sera balled her hands on the table, clenching her fists tightly, "I refuse to accept you."

The blue reploid furrowed his brows at her display of hatred, "Sera..."

"You can never belong, Trigger." The cold mother unit stood from her seat, looking down on him with a frightening air of superiority coming off from her. "Not in the age that I represent."

"I don't understand why you would-"

"You represent a dark age of fear and suffering, purifier. For you to behave as though such sins can ever be absolved from the ties of your lineage is a mockery of the deep wounds sown in human history." Sera turned away from him and walked out into the street, stopping to look over her shoulder. "Stay your curiosity of me, Trigger. What I reserve from you is not my friendship..."

* * *

What I felt then was not hatred for the reploid known as Trigger, but for the purpose that was decided for me before my activation date.

...Trigger made me feel many things from the moment I met him...

...At that instance, when we sat together at that table...he made me feel wistful...

...And I could not accept that...

...Not from him...

...He was the villain...not my hero...

...And villains all shared one fate...

...To be slayed...

_**[[ **Memories of Sera's first confrontation with Trigger flashes at random. One memory shows the mother unit lunging at him with hatred in her eyes while he readies his plasma cannon to shot her, another paints an image of fear and desperation as Trigger stands over a stunned Sera with a bar of light gripped in one hand, preparing to bring it down through her chest as she fought to regain control. The final memory recounts the final moments of their showdown, with them both being consumed in the explosion of Trigger's plasma cannon just as he attempts to deal the fatal blow. **]]**_

...So I carried out my responsibilities as the watcher of Elysium and took it upon myself to neutralize its biggest threat...

_**[[ **Sera hangs suspended at the center of a bright room, held by unseen binds that keep her secure. She keeps her head bowed, watching quietly as her sister turns her back to leave. **]]**_

...But what I received for my efforts was not glory and admiration...

_**[[ **Soon after Yuna is gone, the door to the prison opens again revealing a back lit silhouette that is all too familiar to her. When they proceed forward to approach her the door closes behind them to reveal the visitor as EDEN member Wily. He stops in front of her without words, staring emotionless at her naked and powerless form. Perhaps to him it was no different from staring at a defective doll put on display. Then, as if he had finally become bored with the sight of her, he turns away and walks back to the exit, stopping in front of the door when it opens to offer his parting words: "You disappoint me, Sera." **]]**_

...I was punished...

_**[[ **Wily leaves and the doors to the prison close again, however, this time the light within the prison disappear along with the light from outside leaving Sera in pitch darkness. It remains that way. **]]**_

...I was consumed in darkness for longer than I could bear to remember. I must have given up on seeing the light again at some point during my imprisonment...

...And soon enough, the darkness had been consumed by me...

**_..._**

**_..._**

_**...**_

There was a flicker of blue light in the darkness, faint, but undying. It was an unfamiliar color among the inky blackness that pressed against it and before long the darkness was gathering around it to consume it whole so that it would no longer shine, but-

"GYAAAAAH!" Trigger howled, throwing his arms upward and arching his back like an injured beast. The blue light that radiated from him exploded in all directions and the darkness shuddered away before vanishing to reveal a library of books stretching out farther than the eye could see. In the far distance spiral staircases could be seen rising into the dark clouds that hovered above ominously, and odd symbols hung all around transparently as if to mark the territory.

"Ugh..." The blue reploid groaned as he held his forehead gingerly. He pressed one palm against the floor, which was water like in appearance yet managed to remain solid beneath his weight, and struggled to get up to his feet, but as soon as his legs straightened out they gave from under him, and sent him sprawled to the floor again. He was weak and unable to support himself, and almost as if to take advantage of his condition, the darkness returned to blot out the scenery, gathering around him again like a looming predator.

"What the hell is this?" Trigger glanced all around him to find any means of escape blocked off by the approaching darkness and reached out his arm to activate his buster cannon, but there was no response. "...Damn..." The inky blackness moved in on him, sensing his dying resistance, but at the last moment it shuddered again and pulled away so quickly that it seemed as though an invisible vacuum switched on and sucked it out of existence. A woman appeared beside him and placed a hand on his forehead comfortingly.

"...Huh?" He opened his eyes when he felt the contact and stared up at his mysterious savior- "Sera?"

The woman did not respond, simply staring down at him with a melancholy expression.

* * *

**_[ _****_Returning to the firm grips of reality... _****_]_**

**_

* * *

_**

Roll, Yuna, Data and the other occupants of the Flutter stood anxiously in the piloting deck, staring up at the roof hatch with an air of impatience filling the crowded atmosphere. Not long ago Yuna had received an update from Sera that she had managed to incapacitate Trigger and was currently on her way to the Flutter to bring him back. At the news everyone, with the exception of Roll, _(Since she was already present at the deck) _came bursting through the door to be there when the mother unit arrived.

"She's here." Yuna suddenly announced without warning, startling everyone just before there was a loud thud from up top. A moment of silence followed as everyone unconsciously held their breath and the hatch finally swung open, allowing a limp, armored leg to flop into their view.

"Yuna," Sera's voice came from above, "I'm going to drop him below. Catch him."

"I'm on it!" Yuna rushed in and looked up, holding her arms out in preparation to catch the heavy load. "You can drop him now!"

"Affirmative," At the confirmation Trigger's body was dropped right into the gentle mother unit's arms and everyone crowded around her as she attempted to move away from the ladder for Sera to come down.

"A little breathing space, please." Yuna did her best not to shout at the others as they pressed against her to get a good look at the unconscious young man in her arms. "Please," She said a second time, doing her best to move past them, "Give me a little space..."

"Everyone!" Roll's voice stopped the others stiff with fright, getting them all to stop their crowding and look at her. "Get away from her! Don't you realize that she's trying to take him to his room?" There were a few murmurs of apology and they backed off. Bleucher decided to take the initiative while Barrel, Ira, and Shelke pressed their backs to the wall and went for the door to open it for Yuna. The gentle mother unit offered him an appreciative nod and carefully walked through the passage way, making sure not to knock the purifier's head against the frame as she passed through.

...

...

"How did you manage to get him to the flutter without any resistance?" Yuna asked Sera, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She took a moment to glance at Trigger's resting form, laid along his bed with his arms positioned at his sides, and turned her attention back to her sister with furrowed brows, "The feeling that I'm getting from him now...it's odd. I'm reluctant to ask...but what went on down there between you two?"

Sera leaned on the wall beside her, "Naturally, Trigger would not have come quietly unless I forced him near the point of death." She narrowed her eyes, "I could not risk that, so I took an alternative method that would ensure his cooperation."

A concerned expression became apparent on Yuna's face when she heard that. "And that was?" She asked, sounding slightly suspicious of her shorter counter part.

"I separated his consciousness from his body." She brought a hand to her forehead and tapped her temple lightly with her index finger, "I have him under the influence of my consciousness now. It should be a while before he begins to regain awareness of self. By then I hope to have convinced him to join us again. It would be troublesome if he returned only to escape again."

"I understand that, but...will he be alright?"

"It amuses me that you would ask such a question, Yuna." Sera replied, the ghost of a smirk appearing on her lips. "We are referring to Trigger after all."

Yuna did her best to smile at her words. "Yeah...you're right. I'm surprised, you know?"

Sera looked to her with an expression of curiosity, "Why?"

"That almost sounded like a compliment." Yuna giggled softly, but her moment with her sister was cut short when the door to the room was opened. Roll entered quickly, stopping to glance at Yuna and Sera before taking her side at Megaman' bed. She sat beside him and clutched one of his hands against her chest as she stared down at his peaceful face, a look of immense relief written all over her lovely features. Even the language of her body hinted at how drained she was from worry...but the relief left her almost as quickly as it had come. Something was wrong-"

"Why isn't he breathing?" Roll lowered her head so she came close to his face and turned it to the side to check for faint breathing, but she felt nothing expel from his nose or lips. With that established the blonde engineer looked over her shoulder at Sera and narrowed her eyes angrily before she rose from the bed and approached the cold mother unit, demanding, "What did you do to Megaman?"

"Are you still calling him that?" Sera retorted, tired of hearing that name. "Miss Caskett, it has come to my attention that you are still in the same frame of mind from before," She ignored the look of panic that came upon Yuna's face as she spoke, "That young man there is no longer _'Megaman'_. The person you knew was a defective personality caused by a wipe of his true memories, a blank slate that you filled through your interactions with him."

"And what do you care?" Roll shot back, "You've just recently returned to this world from your imprisonment. You're telling me that you suddenly want to take responsibility over his life when all you had been trying to do up to this point was kill him?"

"Yes, that's right." Sera replied, her face devoid of emotion. "I am here to take responsibility for my mistakes, and I intend to make up for them."

"Don't you understand? He doesn't want anything to do with you!"

"You are far too presumptuous, child." The cold mother unit silenced her, finally exhibiting some emotion. "You assume that you understand Trigger's feeling when you know nothing about him."

Roll flinched at her words, but she boldly recomposed herself and shot back, "You're justi-"

"Your place is no longer by his side, Caskett." Sera cut her off before she could speak again. "Release that self righteous sense of duty to him that you clutch so desperately! Your friend is _gone_!"

_-That was it-_

Something within Roll snapped at that moment, "_SHUT UP!_", and even Yuna couldn't have predicted what happened next.

**_WHAM!_**

Roll's right fist slammed directly into the side of the mother unit's cheek, lifting her feet off the floor by close to an inch.

Yuna kicked off from the wall she was leaning against and rushed forward to stop Roll before she could follow up with another punch, "Roll! Get a hold over yourself! This will not bring Megaman back!"

"This is her fault!" Roll struggled to break loose, clawing for Sera viciously. "He didn't deserve to disappear! He fought for me, he fought for everyone, and for you to talk about him like that-I can't forgive you! I'll NEVER forgive you!"

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**

* * *

**_Chapter Seventeen: MEGAMAN_**

**_Legends Arc Four: Wild Heart_**


	17. Farewell World

Disclaimer: _If you're reading this, you probably wished you owned it too..._

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc Four: Wild Heart_**

_By Traingham_

_

* * *

_

**_Episode Seventeen: MEGAMAN_**

**_

* * *

_**

His memory of how it happened is a blur. Between the flashes of gold, lethal claws and shades of green all he can make out clearly is the sound of her voice penetrating his defenses like the tip of a spear. She delivers a strike to his concentration with her steel tongued words, relentless and cold as the might of her wit, and follows each strike with a sound blow to his body that cripples him each time they connect, and she never loses sight of her target. He is driven back despite his undying will to fight back and he realizes then that in order for him to overcome her he must not allow himself to waver. He must ignore the feeling that swells deep within his chest and crush it with every fiber of his being, because it is dangerous, this feeling that weighs so heavily his hands and feet, this _feeling_ that has the ability to shake him and rob him of his resolve to retrieve what was torn away from him. He knows this, so why did she best him so simply?

"Why am I here?" Trigger, former commander of the second hunter unit of Elysium, questioned the still air as he walked past seemingly endless rows of book cases. "Where is this?" He looked up to the dark clouds above him and redirected his gaze forward to the path without a visible end. There was something abnormal about this place and it chilled him in such ways that he had never experienced before. The road would not allow his feet to remain still, and the world refused to become a familiarity to him, however, it did welcome him, just not as a passing guest, but as a possible means of nourishment. Of this the purifier was sure, but the rationale behind such disturbing thoughts slipped through him like a summer breeze. The fact that _she _was steadily following behind without so much as a word to him only served to unhinge him even further from his comfort zone than he could persuade himself to bear with.

"...Why the..." The reploid mumbled, stopping in his walk and turning around to approach Sera. "Sera, I know this is all your doing!" He accused her, stopping when they were just inches apart. A small part of him realized that there was no use attempting to use scare tactics against the mother unit. Trigger wasn't sure if there was anything in existence that could actually succeed in intimidating Sera, but at the moment he wasn't thinking clearly and he acknowledged as much, however, the atmosphere of the place...it was keeping him from remaining calm. It almost felt as though it was trying to force him into exhaustion so it could pull him in, just as it attempted to do before.

_Before she showed up and saved me...but I don't understand. I just can't wrap my head around the situation for some reason! _Frustration overcoming him for the second time, the commander gripped Sera's shoulders and shook her, perhaps a little more violently than he originally intended. Had her neck been any more relaxed she might have resembled a bobble head doll at that moment. "Why won't you talk, Sera?" He scolded her fiercely, that was until he felt her shrink back in fear. As soon as he felt her do that he snatched his hands away from her, suddenly feeling shame for treating her so roughly. "...Sera?" He watched her curiously as she straightened out her posture, seemingly relaxed again after hearing the gentle sound of her name escape his lips. It made him feel as though he was dealing with a little girl.

Swallowing slowly, he took a hesitant step toward her to see how she would react. "Hmm..." He placed his hands on his hips, cocking his head to the side when Sera looked up at him without fear in her naturally unreadable eyes. Her body language, however, hinted at anticipation. If he didn't know any better the thought would have crossed his mind that perhaps she was pleased that he was standing so close to her, but that was a ridiculous thought, right? This young woman standing in front of him was undoubtedly Sera...and yet Trigger felt the spine tingling touch of doubt creeping into his mind as he continued to stare at her blank expression. "...You _are _Sera, _aren't you_?"

"Of course she is." The blue reploid froze when an unexpected reply came from behind him, sure for a fleeting moment that it belonged to someone he knew, but there was something so odd about how he heard it. A person's voice usually corresponded with their mood, meaning that if they were happy it is expected that their voice would reach a higher octave or pitch to express their mood effectively. The same would be said if a person was sad, or depressed, but the quirk about the owner of this voice was that they always managed to maintain the same dull tone whenever they spoke, so listening to the unfamiliar inflection was refreshing. That, laid out as it was-

"...Sera?" Trigger turned around and blinked, for who he saw was Yuna...for the briefest of moments. The image flickered like static and by the time it solidified again a smiling Sera was walking toward him with a gait that he regularly identified Yuna with. It was almost as if Sera was attempting to imitate her sister, pulling it off so perfectly that Trigger had to fight back a wave of shivers that suddenly came over him. It just wasn't natural. "Wha..." He looked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't just imagining it, baffled when he saw the Sera he was talking to before, still present and staring up at him with an admittedly adorable expression of curiosity-but that was weird too. "...But that's-" He turned his head back to find the cheerful Sera violating his personal space, making him step back and accidentally bump into the mute Sera standing behind him, and then it finally struck him. How could he not have realized it before...he was in hell! Sera must have finally accomplished what she'd set out to do all along and killed him.

"You know," The cheerful Sera closed in on him again, placing her hands upon his chest and leaning against him, "You must be willfully strong in order to still maintain a physical form. Most information that gets absorbed in here normally gets assimilated, but you've managed to keep your individuality!" She flashed him her pearly whites, "I'm glad for you!"

"Th-Thank you..." The purifier blinked at her, unsure of how to respond to her unabashed kindness. In the respect she certainly did resemble Mistress Yuna. "...Um, Sera."

"As for you," The cheerful Sera set her eyes upon the timid looking Sera, "This is the second time you've wandered off." She turned her attention back to Trigger, "You must be very special to attract her attention. Normally she wouldn't go out of her way to greet anyone." An amused giggle escaped her lips as she went on, "Not that we've ever received visitors before, but, _you know_..." She cocked her head to the side inquisitively when the blue reploid lifted a hand to the side of his neck and pinched some skin between his thumb and index finger before twisting it hard with a pained expression. When he was finished he stared at her and blinked a few times, a look of worry gracing his handsome features when he realized that she was still standing there. "Why did you do that for?"

"I thought I was hallucinating, so I figured that would snap me out of it." Trigger answered her, doing his best to seem nonchalant about his current predicament as he looked to the side, placing his hands on his hips with a long sigh. "It didn't work, though."

"Which is quite understandable," She told him with a nod. "Since you're not hallucinating. Me and-" She gestured to the quiet Sera, "Myself are very real, you see."

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I find that hard to believe."

"And why is that?"

"Because the Sera I know doesn't...well..." He honestly didn't want to go further with it, but the cheerful young woman stared up at him with such expectation that he willed himself to finish his sentence. "She doesn't express herself the way you do. She doesn't smile, or talk the way that you do. She's always so serious and unnervingly stoic that I find it hard to understand her." He cleared his throat, finding it awkward that he was sharing this with..Sera, "You know?" To his surprise she simply smiled at him and nodded in understanding. He almost wanted to speak his thoughts aloud at that moment, but then decided to keep it to himself. She might really take it that wrong way.

"It isn't her fault, but I understand what you mean." She said comfortingly. "You know, the truth is she really does feel many things; sadness, happiness, anger, you name it, and I can assure you that it has gone through her mind at one point or another." _Positive_ Sera grinned mischievously, "It's funny that _you_ of all people would say such a thing."

_Hmm? _The way she said that...it was like she knew him personally. He said nothing, but made a mental note of it as he played along, "What do you mean '_me of all people_'?"

"Well, _you_, one of the main reasons that we have been able to develop at this level." She clarified for him, only succeeding in inspiring more questions.

Trigger leaned over to her slowly, inwardly hesitant about asking his next question in fear that it might only wrack his brain further, "And who is _we_?"

"The other two components that administer the stimulus flow of the mind: Negative and Rational." _Positive_ Sera replied with another friendly smile. "Come with me. I'll introduce them to you!"

"Emotional components?" Trigger muttered to himself with mild fascination before the realization finally struck him like an impending freight train.

**_"Resist This."_**

He suddenly felt faint, "Sera...she absorbed my consciousness! I'm inside her right now, aren't I?"

"What was that?" Positive Sera asked, looking at him over her shoulder as she gripped the quiet Sera's hand to move her along. "Did you say something, Trigger?"

_How do I get myself out of here? _The former hunter commander looked to the two Sera's with an edge of suspicion in his green eyes. What would happen to him if he followed those two? They were obviously a part of the mother unit's consciousness, so wouldn't that mean that they were carrying out her wishes whether they were aware or not? "What does she want with me?" He asked no one in particular, his legs as unmovable as stone pillars. "What's the motive behind sealing me in here?"

"Are you coming along, or not?"_ Positive_ Sera asked him when she realized he wasn't budging. "I wouldn't linger around here too long if I were you. You don't want to get absorbed, do you?"

He regarded her cautiously when she called his attention, but the assuring smile on her lips gradually calmed his nerves, perhaps because he associated that same exact smile with Yuna so much. Sera may have been as sly as they came, but there was something about this..._emotional component, _as she called herself_, _that he felt he could place his trust in. Not that he had much of a choice in anything at the moment anyway. He was technically behind enemy lines, so he was going to follow his instincts on this one until it lead him somewhere.

_And she does have a point there. This place is going to be sucking me dry if I hang around any longer. _He looked around at the stretching realm of books, pushing far beyond the horizon. _It won't be long before those shadows return to finish the job they started._ With his mind finally made up he returned the smile to the cheerful Sera and said, "Alright. Let's get going."

* * *

Yuna entered the living room of the Flutter, closing the door behind her quietly to keep from alerting her sister. Sera was there sitting at the couch with her gaze set upon the floor, unmoving even as she approached her with tentative steps. At the moment Megaman's room was crowded by all of the others, sitting around his bed in wait for a twitch, a groan, anything that would indicate his return to consciousness. As for the reason she wasn't at Trigger's side, the cold mother unit was practically driven out of the blue bomber's quarters by an enraged Roll Caskett, or rather, in truth, pulled out of the room by Yuna before the blonde engineer could do something undeniably rash. Sera may have taken the first two shots to the face without retaliating, but she had shown signs of impatience upon standing up the third time and Yuna took note of it immediately, rushing in to intervene at a different angle before her sister decided to punch a hole through the carbon girl.

"Are you alright, Sera?" Yuna asked her sister softly, taking a seat beside her as she place a hand on her lap comfortingly.

Sera finally turned her head to look at her, seemingly ready to scoff at her words, but she didn't. "I've been struck with sounder fists before."

Yuna resisted the creeping urge to roll her eyes at that comment, "I'm not talking about that, and you know it." Yuna leaned over, coming face to face with her cold counterpart, eyes filled with a purposeful intensity that was rarely detected within her normally serene gaze. "I'm asking if you've cooled down. Those things that you said in that room earlier was mighty cruel of you, Sera. It's not like you to speak that way."

"It was the truth." Sera replied, averting her eyes. "Ms. Caskett must release such stubborn hopes that Megaman will ever return."

"Is it really that impossible for him to come back, Sera?" Yuna asked her solemnly. "Trigger was able to return after nearly an eternity. What makes you think that it can't be reversed? What makes you so sure?"

"What do you care, Yuna?" Sera whipped her attention back on her eyes. "Why are you so eager to have that impostor return? I would have expected you to be against such a thing happening."

Yuna backed off after hearing that, leaning from Sera with an unreadable expression. "...What are you getting at?"

For once in her entire life Sera bothered to sigh, catching her sister off guard. "You hold deep feelings of affection for Trigger, don't you?" She asked Yuna bluntly, her eyes seemingly penetrating through her as she stared silently, awaiting a response. Of course, this was a question that she already had the answer to. Yuna's admiration for the second commander wasn't something of a secret way back when. Sera took a spectators seat to their gradually developing relationship, and even the EDEN council members saw something of a spark between the two, but she never proceeded far with her feelings so they had elected to keep silent about her activities under the requests of Veronica and Rebecca, not risking the possibility of attempting to fix something that had clearly not been broken.

"What..." Yuna paused, swallowing hard before continuing, "...What do you mean '_deep feelings of affection_'? It's true, he was a dear friend to me-"

"Don't insult me, Yuna." Sera directed her a cool stare as she cut her off. "I have a thorough understanding of what it means to yearn for another, and I saw it in you whenever Trigger was present near you on Elysium. Now he's finally returned after a lifetime of absence and you're supporting the idea of having him vanish again?"

Yuna bowed her head, "You don't really believe that, do you?" She asked Sera softly.

"You've hardly made an effort to bring him back, Yuna." Sera replied, leaning in closely. "Have you given up on him?"

"Given up on him?" The gentle gynoid mumbled. "Given up on him?" She repeated herself, raising her head slowly to lock eyes with Sera. "I've tried..."

"Then you do love him."

"I think I've lost that right." Yuna let out a dry chuckle, eyes downcast with sadness. "Besides, Trigger never really returned to us." Her words got a narrow of the eyes from her sister who couldn't understand what she meant by such cryptic words.

"Meaning?"

"From the moment he heard everything from us in Yosyonke, he's been aloof. It's like he wants nothing to do with any of us."

_"Even if that person was false, he still did all he could to protect what was important to him."_

"He's given up on himself." Sera mused, brows knitting tightly. "...This may be far more difficult than I believed it would be."

* * *

** _[*/* LOVE }{MM}{ HEIST *\*]_**

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_**

Trigger stared at Sera from across the cafe table awkwardly, finding her eyes narrow upon him imperceptibly as the time ticked by undisturbed. Then, with an uncharacteristic scowl spread across her face, the mother unit stood from her seat without the slightest warning to anyone else and slammed her hands on the table, leaning over to him with a low growl, "Perhaps I should brand the image into your eyes so you'll refrain from staring."

The purifier took that moment to glance at _Positive_ Sera, pointing to the hostile young woman with one hand. "She's the _negative_ one, isn't she?"

"_Don't ignore me, Trigger!_" _Negative_ Sera hissed going so far as to press her forehead against his to regain his full attention, but her words were lost in the background as _Positive_ Sera casually replied over her, "That's right! Although it would come of no surprise to me that you should have immediate recognition of her. You two are so intimately associated after all."

"Heh..." The purifier chuckled at her words, still not paying any mind to _Negative_ Sera as she incessantly called his attention, the reason now being due to his refusal to look her way as opposed to the former. "For some reason, I'm not really shocked to hear that from you." The response he received came in the form of a playful giggle, a reaction he never dreamed of getting out of her. Well, at this point he had expected something like that to slip from her mouth, but the real Sera would never...in spite of the fact that...uh...

_Geez, this is confusing. _Trigger massaged the back of his neck, a look of uncertainty gracing his features. He glanced at **_{?}_** Sera, catching her staring at him intently from the left. The quiet young woman blushed upon realizing that he caught her and turned her head away quickly, balling her hands at her lap cutely. _Still, what can I possibly do here? I'm not making any progress talking with these two- _His eyes swiveled between _Negative_ Sera and _Positive_ Sera discreetly before he rested his cheek against a closed fist, letting his gaze fall to the table naturally so as to avoid attracting their attention-_But, then again, I wouldn't know what it means to make progress in this situation. My only option is to wait for Sera... _He made a momentary halt in his thought flow to correct that_ ...The actual Sera, to make her appearance. I know it's only a matter of time before she decides to talk with me. I don't think she intends to have me live here...at least I hope not._

"Trigger?"

"Hm?" He raised his head to find that _Positive_ Sera scooted her chair near him, invading his personal space yet again. She was making an awful habit of that, wasn't she? The worst part about it was that she didn't even seem to be doing it to bother, or force a reaction out of him. It just came naturally for her so she found absolutely nothing wrong with it, oblivious to the discomfort it brought the blue reploid to press shoulders with his nemesis. "U-Um, yes?" He squashed the urge to scoot away from her, something he had to give himself credit for.

"Something is disturbing you." She stated her words rather than asked them. Either she was very perceptive, or there were a few disadvantages to being locked away in another person's mind like having your own thoughts laid out bare for others to see. He tried not to let that particular possibility frighten him, despite the chilling perverseness it presented. "What seems to be the matter?"

There were more than just a few things that weighed on his mind now, but the most prominent problem might have been- "I don't belong here." His response earned him a snort from the Sera sitting across from him.

"We can tell that much without being told." _Negative_ Sera quipped, arms crossed. "Besides, you wouldn't be the first to end up here." She caught his attention with those words.

"I'm not the first?" Trigger asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "You mean...someone else came here before me?"

"Obviously." She replied flatly. "He arrived a while back, but he wasn't quick to recover like you did."

"Unfortunately he never was able to awaken." _Positive_ Sera explained, her expression doing nothing to indicate what she felt, delivering such news. "He was sealed away, locked in stasis by Reason. I can only assume that he was deemed a _risk_ by the main directive."

"Did this person resemble me by any chance?" At his question she smirked as if she immediately understood the purpose of such a question.

"Could it be that you want to meet this individual, Trigger?" _Positive_ Sera inquired.

"...And if I I happened to say that I do?" Trigger responded cautiously, watching her closely. This moment would confirm whether the dread he'd been carrying since he came along with her was rightly placed or not. Sure, finding out that Megaman's ego might have been somewhere around here was an unexpected but welcome development, all things considered, however, that information was also forcing his hand by a lot. His instincts were telling him that Sera sealed the young hero away for the sole purpose of keeping them from making contact with one another, so the natural response for these...things upon hearing that he was on the search for Megaman would have been to obstruct his path, or take him down to be dealt with by the real Sera at a later time. Although, what it meant to be '_dealt with', _in this case, was something Trigger did not want to envision, so that being as it was he was not planning on going down quietly if they showed signs of hostility.

_Even though I've become a little fond of...this Sera._ The former commander thought to himself with a frown, trying his best not to let himself become too attached to this _Positive Sera_. After all, she could turn out to be one of his greatest enemies in this deceitful plane of existence. Unlike _Negative Sera_, who he knew so well given the unfortunate circumstances of his relationship with the actual Sera, Positive Sera was a bit of a wild card since he had no idea what to expect from her, and that was neglecting to mention the possible threat of the quiet one that made contact with him from the beginning. One always had to be wary of the quiet ones...

The time it took for a reply was taking much longer than he felt he could bear with, staring into the surprisingly gentle eyes of the enigmatic data entity. Was she playing games with him, waiting to coax him into making a fatal mistake that would undoubtedly cost him, or had she honestly come to a moment of indecision on her part? Upon seeing the smile broaden on her face, Trigger felt that the former might have been it.

She answered, "I would take you to him."

He scowled at her response. "I thought that would be your answ-" He stopped mid-sentence and blinked when his hearing caught up with his mouth. Did he just hear her correctly? "Wait, you mean you really will? Y...You'll take me to Megaman?"

"You sound doubtful, Trigger." Negative Sera condemned him with a malicious smirk, one that, he had to admit, scared him. "Don't you trust her?"

"Enough of that." _Positive_ Sera admonished her dark twin before grinning at Trigger. "She tries so hard for your attention, you know?"

Said twin flinched upon hearing that, "Who would want that lowly man's attention?"Her words were clear and crisp, but ignored by the two who proceeded to talk over her as though she was just a figure in the background, and so she remained to them, even as she proceeded to scowl at them for brushing her aside so effortlessly. Needless to say, Trigger's relationship with the cold mother unit was not improving. This was certainly going to contribute to the friction between them when he got back...whenever that was, but for now he was going to have to put his worries about his own well being aside. _He _needed his help. He needed to save _him _from this prison before it was too late. He would never forgive himself if he allowed this opportunity to slip him by...

"If you're willing to lead me, then I'm grateful to you." Trigger told the strangely upbeat Sera with a grateful bow of his head. "Is he far from here?"

"Distance will pose no hindrance to us, Trigger." _Positive_ Sera informed him. "I can have us taken there by way of teleportation. There are perks to being a part of the network, you know."

He blinked. "Wait...then why did you have us walk all the way to this plaza?" He was, of course, referring to the suspiciously familiar street with the cafe that they were settled at, sitting all together at one of the outdoor tables set up on the patio. It was familiar because he could faintly recall coming to a cafe like the one they were at now once, back in his halcyon days as second commander on Elysium...fine, maybe it wasn't all that great considering the amount of hardship he had to put up with _(And the people he was forced to deal with-**cough***Sera***cough**), _but he would have gladly returned to those days if he had the choice. That aside, he couldn't shake off the feeling of deja vu that crept up on him, finding himself sitting at a cafe table with Sera.

Positive Sera shrugged her shoulders and grinned, replying, "Walks are nice."

"...Yes...I suppose they are." He nodded his head, albeit, stiffly.

"Is something the matter?" She asked innocently. "Your eye is twitching."

"I'm fine..." The blue bomber assured her with a forced smirk. _I mean, I was only partly dying through the entire walk, looking over my shoulder every five seconds in fear that one of those shadows were biding for the opportune moment to eat me alive. It's not like I'd be angry to hear that we could have just avoided the long walk through the wasteland of books, up the seemingly endless spiraling stairs without safety rails, and through the ghastly city of skyscrapers that penetrated the heavens with their gleaming spires. No, that was totally excusable. _He began to second guess the sincerity of her kind nature. Perhaps it had been her aim to kill him from the very beginning and he was just blind to see it. Wait, no, that was just his paranoia slipping him suggestions again for the sake of self preservation.

"Then we should get going!" She announced cheerfully, standing from her seat, with the other two Seras doing the same in sync. "Hm?" Trigger didn't budge from his seat, staring up at her with suspicion again. "Why aren't you standing?"

He narrowed his eyes with uncertainty, struck by the irresistible urge to scratch the back of his head. "Well...it just bothers me."

Negative Sera rolled her eyes, crossing her arms at his latest display of hesitation. "Are we doing this _again_, Trigger?"

"Hey," He glared at her, getting one from her in return, "I have my reasons for behaving this way, okay?" He jabbed an accusing finger at her, observing how she clenched her hands at her sides when he did. "I'd think that you would understand why."

"Enlighten me, _purifier_." She hissed, her eyes narrowing to slits.

Trigger rose from his seat, brows furrowed in annoyance. "Don't give me tha-" He stopped when a finger pressed itself against his lips gently. "Mm?" He found the owner to be the quiet Sera, looking up to him with...affection? He wasn't exactly sure how to react to the gesture so he simply looked between her and _Positive_ Sera_, _hoping that she would do him the mercy of speaking before things got too awkward between them, however, he was surprised even further when the person to break the silence was none other than the one who had not uttered a single words until now.

"Relax, Trigger." The mysterious Sera told him soothingly, brushing her finger way from his lips and cupping his chin. "I understand if you're feeling slightly insecure. You've been on the move a lot since you returned, running into problems left and right, so it's quite natural for you to be wary, especially in an environment as unfamiliar as the one you're in now, but you can trust us to be your allies." She moved her hand over his cheek. "We'll guide you through this. You can cast all of your doubts away."

Trigger swallowed, doing his best to overcome his shock as he asked, "...Why?"

"Because it's the natural thing to do for the person you like." She smiled brilliantly, nearly stealing the breath from his lungs. "Am I right in assuming as much?"

"Who...who are you?"He asked softly, placing his hand over the smooth hand caressing the side of his face. "I don't think we've ever...met before."

She smirked knowingly. "I'm the _irrational_ side." At her answer the former commander could not help but smirk back.

"I see." He chuckled warmly. "I suppose I can place my trust in you, then."

"Trigger!" He turned away from Irrational Sera reluctantly when _Negative_ Sera called his attention.

He sighed, resting a hand on his hip as he cocked his head to the side. "What?"

"Just for the record, _I hate you_." She told him offhandedly, looking to the side so she couldn't see his reaction. Unfortunately for her, that meant she was unable to see the charming smile that came across his handsome features that clearly indicated to the opposite of his response, "The sentiment is mutual, friend."

**_..._**

**_..._**

Never had Trigger, Second Commander of the Hunter unit, ever utilize the term _'scary'_ to describe a person, place, or thing. He'd never encounter something that intimidated him to the point of being afraid to face it, however, now, standing at the edge of possibly the largest crater he had ever seen in his life, caught at the center of a sandstorm where the towering remnants of the Main EDEN building resided like a long dead colossus from his past, Trigger felt the muscles in his legs tighten to the point of near petrification. They simply would not take him any further into the gaping maw of the wound within in the stretching wasteland.

"I take it..." Trigger spoke, shielding his face from the flying sand with his arms as he stood his ground. "...That she had...hard feelings for this place!"

_Negative_ Sera looked over her shoulder at him, her posture completely relaxed in spite of the chaotic winds that tore through the lands like an enormous leaf blower. "It's complex, Trigger. It isn't something a simpleton like yourself would understand." She beckoned him forward with a wave of her hand, "Now hurry up! Why are you getting so stiff in the legs for? Has your cowardice finally overcome your recklessness?"

The purifier frowned at her predictably scathing response. "No comment, sunshine." He willed his feet to carry him forward, each foot burying itself in the constantly shifting sand with each step he took, each step tiring him further despite his lack of an actual physical body. It was a wonder to him how the three identical women walking ahead of him moved so easily. Perhaps the world was trying to bury him alive before he reached his destination...sooo not his paranoia talking again. Casting _Negative_ Sera a seething glare he thought to himself woefully, _Why do you hate me so much, I'll never know..._

"Don't tire now, Trigger!" The young man raised his head at the encouragement, words that he knew without looking, came from _Positive_ Sera. The cheerful incarnation smiled to him, seemingly unconcerned by the noticeable weariness in his walk as she trotted to him. He almost envied her footwork, how she effortlessly danced through the sand as though it were solid ground. "We're almost there! You can't allow yourself to fall back now!" She tugged on his arm_, _almost causing him to lose his footing and fall on his face in the process.

"Sera...you're going to kill me." He muttered under his breath.

After a grueling journey through the sandstorm, peppered along the way with its fair share of abuse from _Negative_ Sera and uplifting encouragement from _Positive _Sera, Trigger and the three incarnations reached the grounds of the EDEN building. The structure towered over them ominously like the decayed remains of a once majestic titan. The blue reploid had to fight back the irony that he would find the light at the end of the tunnel in such a dreary place, especially since his memories of this building were so unpleasant. Still, seeing it appear before him in such a wasted state within Sera's mind was rather vexing. It brought him to wonder just what it was meant to represent. Fortunately or unfortunately, at the moment he was torn between the two, Negative Sera tore him away from his inner thoughts with a sharp-

_"Trigger! Stop falling behind!"_

"Huh?" He looked to her blankly to find that she and the others were already at the entrance, having left him standing in the storm like a statue. With a silent curse he shook his legs free from the mound of sand that had accumulated around them and ran to them with an sheepish grin gracing his features. "Sorry about that. I think I got caught in a bit of nostalgia back there."

"No need to apologize, Trigger." _Positive _Sera told him with the usual smile, although it had recently occurred to him that it would have been odd to see her do otherwise considering her title. "One would guess it is natural for someone to feel that way when they've been away from home for so long. You're at no fault."

"...Thanks." He told her, forcing a smile. _...I think..._

"This is where we part ways, Trigger." _Negative_ Sera suddenly announced from the side of him.

He regarded her quizzically. "What? Why?"

"Because _she_ stands on the other side of those doors." She answered him vaguely. "The only one who can maintain their form within her presence is the _Irrational _side. It's the natural balance of order within this realm of consciousness."

_Positive _Sera placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention back to her. "It was a pleasure to be in your company, Trigger..." She paused, her lips trembling as though the words she wanted to say were not allowed to her. "...So we're glad to have finally met you."

"What she means to say is," _Negative _Sera interjected, taking her place beside her twin, "It saddens us to know that we may never cross paths again, so it hurts to say goodbye."

"...Sera." Trigger felt a pull in his chest. "It..."

"No, Trigger." _Irrational _Sera stopped him before he could say another word. "You say that now and you'll stand in your own way when you make your final decision."

He looked to her with an unreadable expression, his left hand clenched into a fist. "You know..."

"Of course we do." She nodded her head. "Admittedly, we understood what your goal was from the beginning."

"Then...why did you support me this far?"

The mysterious woman stared at him with a mixture of sadness and bitterness. "It is not my place to answer that question, nor is it the time to ask them." She placed her hand on the door behind her lightly and pushed it ever so slightly. Light surged out from the crack in a manner that made it seem as though the door did not so obstruct the entry of individuals so much as it did prevent its passage of escape. "Step forward, Trigger. The door will not move any further unless you open it yourself."

He stared at her wanting to speak, wanting to say what it was that he felt for her...for the woman that was so called _Sera_, but he turned away before he could allow it, because she was right, and more so, it would have been painful...for the both of them. So he stepped forward, one hand held out to press against the door that stood between him and fate, and it was heavy. The weight of the divider was more than he imagined, pushing him back as he fought to do the same. "Urngh!" He could feel it...something, someone was holding him back and when he turned his head to confirm his hunch-"WHOA!"

He fell in.

Yes, oddly enough, he fell forward instead of stumbling forward because gravity had suddenly fallen on its side without the fair decency of providing him with a proper warning. What was once behind now hung over him and looking up, he was offered the fleeting view of his passage of entry, shrinking with every passing second as the sky got higher and he fell farther. It was the moment before he was able to curse the bizarreness of his situation that the floor kindly caught him with a heavy thud.

"Ungh..." Trigger groaned, clutching at the new found ground with frustration only to gather clumps of grass. "...Grass?" The pain in his side numbed with his confusion. If he recalled correctly he entered a building so how was it that he landed on grass- he raised his head- a grassy hillside to be specific. "This place..." He stood slowly, doing his best not to gasp and failing himself horribly. The place he was in now was no stranger to him, far from it. What stretched out before him, beyond the grassy cliff side that greeted him upon his arrival a lifetime ago, was the carbon city of beginnings. It was the unfortunate place of prosperity that served as the fated battleground for him and Sera, and perished in the flames born of their might, but here at this moment it stood perfectly intact like the seam of a dream at the clearing of a nightmare.

"What is that?" Trigger raised his attention to the ominous looking object that hovered over the peaceful city, eclipsing the moon that served as a bewitching pendant to the star speckled darkness of the sky above. It resembled a diamond, but only in shape. In reality it was nothing so beautiful. It looked dull and intimidating much like a floating prison, and the intricate markings on its surface pointed to its relation to EDEN somehow.

_What is it? _He walked to the edge of the cliff, peering through the darkness at it with his upper body outstretched as if he intended to howl to it. _Why is it here?_

"You're here?" An all too familiar voice questioned from behind him in a flat tone. "Interesting. The odds of you reaching this place through aimless travel of the mind are 0.00002%, which means that were assisted in getting here."

Trigger turned around slowly to find another Sera standing a short distance from him, her face gracing a serious expression that differed from _Negative _Sera's unrelenting scowl or _Positive _Sera's eccentric smile. If anything she came the closest to seeming like the Sera he was so familiar with, cold and unchanging. "I'm assuming that you're _Reason."_

"Your assumption is not misguided, Trigger. Since you understand that much, then it becomes clear to me that you've met the others."

"That's right." He nodded.

"Fascinating..." She mused, stepping forward to close the distance between them. She met him at the edge of the cliffside, folding an arm behind her back as she pointed to the floating object in the sky. "You're curious about that, aren't you?"

"Yes." He took a step to the side to set a distance between them. "How did you guess that?"

"You were staring rather intently at it." The Sera of _Reason_ replied, matter-of-factly. "To satiate that curiosity of yours, that is an _EDEN s-class_ prison, specially made for the mother class units. One modeled after the prison that was chosen to confine us long ago."

"Is...he in there?"

"You're referring to Megaman?" She asked, staring him the eyes for the first time. "Of course you are. He is your reason for coming here in the first place."

"How did you..."

"Deductive reasoning, Trigger." She draped an arm over the side of her waist, stroking her chin with her other hand as she bowed her head in contemplation. "I question how we could not have foreseen something like this happening. We have been making odd choices as of late. I can only conclude that you have something to do with our peculiar behavior."

"How do I break him free from it?" He asked carefully, receiving the cruelest of smirks in response. Scratch what he thought earlier, this Sera was different from the one he knew. "What?" He furrowed his brows threateningly, "Why are you looking at me that way?"

"Because it's a shame, Trigger." She told him, leaning over to him as she reached out and lightly place a finger under his chin. "You're one of the most intriguing individuals I've come across and you're going to just throw yourself away for the sake of that naive young man. What will you gain from this is what I am most curious to know."

He quirked a brow, upturning the smirk on her face into a suspicious smile, "Gain? I don't intend to gain anything from this."

The smile fell quickly, replaced by the dispassionate mask she had been donning earlier. "Then why do it?"

"I don't want to discuss this...whoever it is you are."

"Why?" She asked, the smirk returning. "Because you're afraid that you might lose your resolve? It's understandable, Trigger. After all, how could you be sure that they're not alive out there, experiencing the same thing that you are right now? Asking themselves if going on in this world is really worth the effort if it means being left alone."

"...I have no right...to ponder that."

"Trigger..." Her eyes drooped, catching him off guard. "...If it is your wish to do this, then I have no right to get in your way. You would be doing me a favor in removing that corrupted data anyway. All he really does is take unnecessary space...space I could make use of for other things to fill." She smirked at him, managing to throw him off again. "I'm tempted to say that I would much rather have you take his place, that way we can have more of these discussions, but you wouldn't go down easy. Not like he did."

"Just tell me how to free him."

"It's quite simple, really." She replied, gesturing to the floating prison lazily. "Break him out yourself, or wake him."

"Wake him?" The former commander looked to his final obstacle, unsure of what to make of that answer. "Wake him...as in...yell to him?"

She grinned. "Sure. Why not? I'm quite certain there are more than a few methods to get one to rise from slumber." She turned and began walking down from the edge they were both standing on. "I advise you do it quickly, though."

Trigger felt a change in the atmosphere of the place when she said that. "Why?" He asked, instinctively tightening the muscles in his legs.

"You've been active for a while now." The enigmatic Sera informed him. "About a day and a half in this world, however, as you undoubtedly know, the mind functions fast enough to run faster than the flow of time in reality. In truth only seven minutes have passed since you regained consciousness after being absorbed, but that's more than enough time for us to be conscious of your scheme. Remember, you've become nothing more than a strand of information within this mind..."

"So, she's aware." Trigger finished for her.

_Reason_ smiled at him from over her shoulder and answered, "_Yes_, we certainly are."

And she disappeared.

"Wake him, huh?" The purifier grumbled to no one in particular, whipping around to face the floating prison. _Somehow I expected this to be harder, but I won't complain if things get easy for me. _"HEY!" He cried out, ignoring the echoes of his voice that traveled through the city below. "Wake up, Megaman! How long are you going to ignore reality?" He waited a moment after he was done yelling, staring up at it intensely, waiting for some kind of reaction, but there was no response. The diamond like object continued to revolve in the sky as it had done when he first arrived. "Hrm..." Trigger crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently. _She could have just been lying to me...I wouldn't put past someone as sinister looking as she did. I got better vibes from that negative Sera earlier, and that's saying a lot..._

He dropped his arms at his side and narrowed his eyes frustratedly. "MEGAMAN! How much longer do you intend to stay sealed down here? Time is marching on in the real world and you're just letting things take its course without you." He jabbed a finger up at it. "What's holding you back, Volnutt? What makes you think that you can afford to sleep things off when you have a world of people waiting for you to return? You've done it, you've returned to Terra, Megaman!"

_...No response..._

"It's time that you returned home!"

_...It continued rotating..._

Trigger sighed, running both of his hands through his hair as he turned away for a moment to gather his wits again. This was beginning to look more and more hopeless by the minute and he could feel his patience wearing dangerously thin with the sleeping hero. _She told me to hurry up. It's only a matter of time before Sera shows up. _He turned around again, staring straight up at the floating prison with his hands clenched into fists. "You're disappointing me, kid! I've watched you for a while, you know. I've seen the things that you're capable of, the kind of person that you are, and I have to admit...I really did admire you. You know exactly what it is you fight for, and you've never hesitated to put your life down on the line for the people you love." Trigger smiled. "Do you know how many people claim that they can do that and fail when it counts most? It's a sad truth, I tell you, but life has its instances of cruelty. There are those who can and those who cannot; Those who stand their ground and those who run like cowards. You've proven the kind of person you are, so why are you giving up now?"

_...A blue light flickered faintly from within..._

"Why are you leaving those two girls behind to mourn you?" With that last cry of anger the unthinkable occurred. The floating prison stopped rotating in such an abrupt manner that it gave off the illusion of being frozen within time, and cracks began forming at the center of the monstrous object, stretching out to the corners of the diamond-like prison. Blue light seeped out from the web-like cracks, giving it a strangely wonderful appearance. Trigger felt as though he was bearing witness to the birth of a strange new star at the center of the sky, however, his awe of the brilliant spectacle was interrupted without warning. Not that he wasn't expecting it to happen sooner or later_**, **_but she sure did pick the worst times to make an entrance.

**_"Halt!"_**

_That is definitely the negative side of her talking right now..._ Was the former commander's thoughts as soon as he heard Sera's scream, looking up to the source to find the mother unit descending to the ground like a falling javelin. The ground cracked beneath her when she made her landing and the next thing he realized was the sudden strain in his back and legs.

"Ungh!" Trigger grunted in pain when he felt himself fold over, crumpling to the ground like a puppet losing its strings. "D...Damn it..." The reploid cursed his misfortune, doing his best to push himself back up to his knees, but gravity seemed to be against him, pressing him down with such force that twitching his fingers posed the threat of having them snap to the side. "Ser...Sera!"

"Who lead you here, Trigger?" Sera's voice took on a strangely emotional tone, something he had not seen in her since the night The Master died in his arms. "How did you reach this place?"

He smirked at her in spite of his predicament. "You need...to get a better handle...over your emotions."

"What was that?"

"Let's just say...you're a completely different person...down here." He managed to raise his head from the ground, staring up at her with a grin. "You...lead me here, Sera!"

Sera approached his struggling form, standing over him with a scowl. "Impossible!"

"Is...that so?" He chuckled dryly. "Are you even...aware of yourself right now?"

An annoyed expression crossed her feminine features when he asked that question. "I'm in no mood for this nonsense, Trigger. We'll take this conversation elsewhere." She saw the panic build in him when she threatened to remove him and followed his line of sight to the deteriorating prison behind her. She gasped, drawing Trigger's attention back to her face and for a moment he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Horror. If such a thing was possible, then he knew without a doubt that he saw horror etched upon the face of the one woman he never imagined had a fear. "You didn't..." She said softly, more to herself than him as she took slow steps to the edge of the cliff.

"I did...Sera." He replied to her defiantly. "I had a feeling...that you were hiding something..." He pushed his palms against the ground with all the strength he could muster, managing to lift his upper body. "...But I never...imagined that you would...stoop as low as to..." He got on one knee and straightened out his back as best he could. "...try to seal Megaman away without...a word to Ms. Caskett."

"You don't understand anything, Trigger." Sera spat at him, turning around to face him, but- "How...How are you able to move?"

Trigger straightened out his knees, though with noticeable difficulty. "I told you before...didn't I?" He smiled at her roguishly, boiling emotions within her that she didn't understand fully. "As long as I have the will to resist...I won't go down so easily!"

"Then I will crush that will, Trigger." She gripped her arms to her chest in an X formation and ripped them away at her sides with an arched back, summoning the gold armor that she had before during their confrontation in the ruins. She stretched out her wings and pointed to him with a clawed hand, gleaming in the blue light that emanated from the crumbling diamond in the sky. "I'll open your eyes to the folly of your righteous goals!"

"Sera," Trigger got into a fighting stance and stomped the ground with one foot. The mother unit's eyes widened slightly in surprise when a blue light exploded around him, "Famous last words!"

"You're depleting your own essence to sustain your strength?" Sera's eyes narrowed furiously. "You'll erase yourself from existence, you fool! Stand down, Trigger! Please, stand down!"

_"Yeah? Well, I didn't stand down for her, and I won't stand down for you."_ She heard him speak, although his mouth did not move. His eyes were filled with blue light, making it impossible for her to know if he was looking at her or someone else, but she could tell that he wasn't thinking of the confrontation that was taking place at this moment. Right now he was grieving something that long escaped him, something that he knew he could never get back. _"Heroism always comes with a price."_ He kicked forward, soaring at her with a blaze of blue fire exploding behind him as he roared, _"This once, I'll not regret paying it!"_

**_"TRIGGER!"_**

**_

* * *

_**

**_To Be Continued..._**

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter Eighteen: Kiss Me Deeply_**

**_Legends Arc Four: Wild Heart_**


	18. Mercy

Disclaimer: _If you're reading this, you probably wished you owned it too..._

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc Four: Wild Heart_**

_By Traingham_

_Author's Note:_**_ [[...]] -_**_Intervening Memories-_

* * *

**_Episode Eighteen: Kiss Me Deeply_**

* * *

**_[[ _**_Second Commander Trigger and Mistress Yuna sit side by side atop the roof of the Hunter's Headquarters. The reploid district stretches out below before their eyes until they can see no more over the horizon, with the exception of the top of a large tower-like structure, the EDEN main building, where the members that governed all of Elysium resided._

_Yuna looks to Trigger amidst the silence that is shared between them, and breaks it. "Trigger?" She calls his attention softly, getting him to turn his head toward her questioningly._

_"Yes?" He asks her, a bang of his unruly hair just getting in the way of his left eye from the movement._

_"What brings you peace?"_

_"Peace, huh?" Trigger echoes her last word, a curious expression gracing his handsome features for a moment before he answers her. "I'd say whenever I'm able to spend time with my friends; Nero, Iris, Striker, Alia, and you, of course." He emphasizes the word 'you' when he says it and it brings a warm smile to the gentle mother unit's lips, one that he admits, comes so naturally to her charming face. Of course, he'd never say that to her face out loud. He'd come to an understanding long ago that complimenting her was never a good idea. She could get very mischievous and affectionate whenever he did that, a grand mixture of trouble if someone caught them. It was something that mistress Sera had been developing a disturbing knack for whenever Yuna had one of her more aggressive days._

_Yuna giggles a moment before turning her attention back to the horizon with a dreamy look. "You know...of all the people I know on the colony, I only have two close friends: Sera and you, but I only feel most at peace whenever I'm around you, Trigger." She looks back to him, her face noticeably burning with embarrassment. "So, it made me wonder..."_

_Trigger's eyes study her intensely. He always did that whenever they had their heart-to-heart conversations, and it made her timid to have him stare at her like that; perhaps more. "Wonder what?"_

_Yuna swallows nervously, finding it hard to keep eyes locked with him as she answers. "That maybe...j-just maybe..." Her face turns red as a tomato, and her lips begin to quiver._

_"Yuna," The second commander places a hand on her shoulder, and she squeaks at the contact, "There's nothing you could tell me that I'd laugh at." He tells her with the outmost sincerity in his eyes, but he still feels her trembling at his touch. _

_"I d-don't understand why this is so..." Yuna pauses to place a hand over her eyes, and opens her mouth to speak but no words leave her in spite of the effort she puts in trying to form them. Trigger opens his mouth to voice his concern, but the door to the roof opens, drawing his attention away from the flustered mother unit and to his most trusted partner, Alia, who just stares at the two of them from the door like she has just spotted the wrong doings of a maverick. It almost makes the commander nervous when she stares at him so._

_"Alia." Trigger says her name casually, unaware of the situation that he's in or what bizarre conclusions his second in command might have come to. "Is there something you need from me?"_

_Alia's eyes are wide, her face flushing crimson as her lips tremble to speak. "W-W-Well, C-Commander..."**]]**_

_**...**_

Trigger shook himself free of the memory that temporarily clouded his thoughts, ignored the feelings of warmth that came of it with an iron resolve. It wasn't the first scene from his life that took hold of his static frizzed mind as he did battle with the nearly indomitable form that mistress Sera took on. Many others came and went, and more would follow, he prepared himself for that, but he was running low on time, and he was at a severe disadvantage, even with his trump card in effect. He was fighting in Sera's domain and here she was practically a god. Here she moved faster than he did, hit much harder than he ever could, and could force her influence on his body on mere whim. He could feel his bodily movements slowing down with every punch he threw, and every kick he whipped at her. At this rate, she would overcome him before he even reached the point of completely burning out, which was, of course, what she intended to do.

With desperation firmly rooted in his mind, Trigger did not hold back an ounce of his gradually deteriorating strength as he traded fierce blows with Sera on the hillside overlooking the city of beginnings, and while he was convinced that the mother unit clearly held the upper hand by a large margin, his adversary's thoughts were not as confident and collected as he imagined them to be. Sera was scared, she was angry, but most of all she was vexed beyond all common levels of vexation. Her emotions were controlling her down here, and they were threatening to overwhelm the cool, composed rationality that she founded her life in. She felt her brows knit with consternation, her lips twisted in frightening scowl that refused to settle into a thin line. These strange sensations and feelings were so foreign to her and she wanted them to disappear. She had no time to meddle with them, she did not have the luxury to taste and savor the spices of unfamiliarity, she could not give into the seduction of that inner reflection. Trigger was going to leave her, he was going to vanish again, and it was all due to her carelessness, her neglect of the emotions that were rebellious prisoners within her. Making matters even more desperate was the manner in which he intended to make his escape from her. He was killing himself, and that only left her with two dire choices: break him before he broke her, or release him before he destroyed himself. Unsurprisingly, Trigger was not making her options easy and she would do everything in her capable hands to prevent him from forcing her hand in choosing the latter choice.

Sera leaned away from a flaming fist that was thrown at her and leaned into the second commander with a kick that should have sent him flying across the field of green, but to her concealed amazement his feet never left the ground, dragging along the grassy terrain and shredding the simulated earth like a plow. Trigger leaned forward to stop himself short and bent at the knees quickly before launching himself at the mistress like a bullet, throwing out his right hand as he came within reach and gripping Sera by the helmet when his open palm slammed into her forehead. Sera could do nothing to stop it as her feet were stolen from the ground by the savage lunge.

"Eeeeyah!" Trigger roared, raising the hand gripping Sera by the head up high, and slamming it into the ground as he touched down perhaps a few yards from the spot she had just been standing prior from being snatched up. The ground exploded under the full force of the slam, sending chunks of hardened earth flying around them that disintegrated into fragmented data as they fell to the ground, but the commander did not let her go. He lifted the mother unit from the human sized crater, still gripping her by the helmet and tossed her up in the air like a rag doll while she was still recovering from the shock of the attack. He whipped around as she came back down and jumped in the air, connecting with the side of her body through a vicious mid-air roundhouse that sent her flying from the force of the impact. Trigger bent at the knees as soon as his feet touched the ground again and kicked off to come after her like a flaming, blue arrow, but Sera had taken enough abuse from her beloved nemesis. Her body came to an abrupt halt in the air with a flap of her shining wings, and she extended out a clawed hand to Trigger as he quickly closed the distance the separated them.

_**CLAZZT!**_

What the purifier felt, stopping inches away from Sera as she floated before him, was the equivalent of crashing into an invisible wall, which was exactly what happened. Trigger's eyes squeezed shut reflexively from the excruciating pain that hit him as his physical form flickered like a damaged, fluorescent light. The blue flames that burned around him resonated in like, extinguishing and rekindling furiously in short spurts. "Urgh..." The vibrations from the impact rattled throughout his entire body like a tuning fork, robbing him of his senses just long enough for the armored Sera to reach out and take him into a choke hold with the hand that stopped him. The sound of her sharp claws clicking against each other behind his neck got a strained twitch from his left eye as he groaned. At that moment he was struck again, but not by her fist, at least not yet.

**_[[ _**_MED smiles at Trigger, stunning him, as it's his first time ever seeing her do so. The medical reploid was pretty, that he confirmed long ago from his first appointment with her, but now she seems beautiful, facing him with that expression on her face. "You must be the only one who hasn't noticed it yet, you clueless kid." She tells him with a warmth in her voice that seems uncharacteristic of her. In all of their appointments together she'd always kept things between them professional. She never allowed her personal feelings to unveil in his presence before, but for reasons privy only to her, this was not so today. "But that's usually the case with you types."_

_Trigger knits his brow with curiosity. "I haven't noticed what?" He asks, unconscious of how his body leans off his seat as if he's drawn to her. "Is it important?"_

_"No, it's probably not. Well, not yet, anyway." MED tells him with a shake of her head. "But someday you're going to have to come to facts with it, and that day will surely be hard."_

_"You're going to have to be clearer about this, MED." Trigger tells her before he chuckles softly. "I'm not very good at picking up subtle messages. They're always lost on me, unfortunately."_

_"Don't I know it." MED mumbles with a dark look._

_Trigger perks up, "What was that, MED?" His question elicits a sigh from her lovely lips._

_MED extends a hand out to him gently, though the expression on her face remains somewhat dark, almost as if she is thinking back on something unpleasant. "C'mere, Trigger." She wiggles her fingers to beckon him forward. The second commander does so and she caresses the side of his face, stroking her thumb against the side of his mouth delicately. She is surprised when he rests his cheek against her palm like a cat, staring at her with innocent eyes that threaten to melt away her coolness of her professional image. "I'll give it to you straight so you don't spend the rest of the week mulling over it like some tragic philosopher. I'd hate for you to stay distracted on the job because of me."_

_"Works for me." Trigger responds crisply._

_"You're irreplaceable, Trigger. The higher ups in the EDEN council can find ways to replace me, to replace Alia, to replace all of the other reploids on this colony, in fact, but they will never find anything capable of taking your place."_

_"W...Wait." Trigger's features show the disturbance that wells in his mind after he hears MED's words. "What does that mean?"_

_"You're one of a kind, is what I mean." MED answers him with a strange tenderness in her voice. "And slowly, but surely, all of Elysium is beginning to realize that. You probably don't realize it, but you're a hot subject all around the colony, Trigger. Your fellow commanders admire you despite their complaints about your refusal to retire abhorrent units, the other hunters look up to you, council members Veronica and Rebecca actually look forward to your visits at the main building, professor Ciel requests personal reports about you at the end of every week, The Master meets with you whenever he is free from his EDEN duties, mistress Yuna considers you her closest friend, and even mistress Sera has shown a personal interest in you." MED scoffs. "I'm actually a little protective of you, maybe even a little jealous that everyone is so desperate to get a piece of you."_

_The mention of mistress Sera gets a noticeably negative shift in Trigger's demeanor, and MED spots it easily. "But what interests Sera so much?"_

_MED leans in close and whispers softly, "Which brings me to the main reason why I'm telling you all of this." The warmth in her voice vanishes as she continues. "You need to be wary of mistress Sera, Trigger. I don't know what you've done to get her attention, but it doesn't appear to be healthy, whatever her interests are. Please...be mindful. If there's anyone on this colony that can be considered dangerous, mistress Sera is that person."**]]**_

"Don't burn out on me, Trigger!" A desperate cry brought the commander back to focus from his momentary lapse and he found himself hanging in the air by a choke grip. His eyes looked to the arm connected to the hand wrapped around his throat and slowly fell upon Sera herself, a stunning sight to behold in her gold, phoenix armor. "This world, this life is your own! Why throw it away for that defective back up?"

"Sera." Trigger spoke her name softly, getting a startled hiccup out of her. "The only reason I'm even here before you is because of a mistake."

"A mistake?" Sera shook her head. "This is no mistake! Your being here is not a mistake. Why do you persist in believing such a thing?"

"But it is, Sera." Trigger retorted. "My time was up after you killed me on our fight so long ago. Don't you remember?"

"I...I killed you." Sera's eyes went blank from that startling information. "I d-did that?"

"Sera." The former commander smiled at her ruefully. "Why do you think I ended up losing myself? I died. My regenerating capabilities started up after I let go of my dying breath, so in a way I was forcibly brought back to life. I was turned into a walking corpse by the very system meant to preserve my life, and so I was born anew. Megaman is the rightful owner of my body, not me. He has people to live for, he has a right to this life."

Sera's lips twitched as if she really wanted to speak, but all that left them was, "It-It can't be true..."

"Now," the reploid's body took on a blue glow and seconds later he was ablaze again in a vicious inferno, forcing Sera to snatch her hand away from his throat to protect herself, "Let me go!" He came at her with punch directed at her face but her hands were at his arm the very moment his fist was about to make contact and his world was flipped upside down as Sera swung his body over her left shoulder and slammed him to the ground. Her eyes burned red and Trigger felt a strange sensation from the ground beneath him. It felt as though the earth was melting away into a puddle, and when he looked over his shoulder to investigate the cause of the odd sensation he realized that was exactly what was happening. The ground was sucking him in.

"Stop resisting!" Sera snarled at him, holding him down with both hands. "I do not want to risk hurting you anymore than you are hurting yourself!" The moment she finished talking Trigger forced his right hand out of her grip and buried his fist into her stomach, stunning her long enough for him to kick her off of him and free himself of the void that was absorbing him. With that taken care of he glanced over at her as she doubled up on the ground, her image flickering and distorting from the damage, and took off running to the edge of the cliffside to get closer to the prison in the sky. Sera's claws scraped at the ground angrily at the sight of him getting away and she forced her body to stabilize prematurely, getting back to her feet and making chase.

"Megaman!" Trigger cried out to the prison, watching the blue light from within crack at the walls like a restless beast pounding from the inside. "Hungh!" The commander jumped down from the cliff and landed in the city below. The streets were deserted, not that he expected to see any of the inhabitants from the original city. The entire city was nothing more than a perverse illusion after all, but it left chills running though him nevertheless. He had no time to let it get the best of him, though. Trigger looked up when he heard something slicing through the wind and rolled out the way just in time to avoid being crushed beneath Sera's taloned feet. The mother unit landed in a crouched stance with her wings folded around her to prevent any preemptive strikes on his part, looking for all the world like some mythical creature of legend before she stood up, straightened out, and spread out her wings with a deafening flap that sent Trigger flying backwards into one of the building from the force.

"Trigger!" Sera launched herself at him without a moment's hesitation, splitting the street beneath her feet with each thunderous step. Trigger leapt up before she could bury her clawed hand into the concrete illusion behind the space his head had been occupying and kicked off of her left wing to wallkick from the side of a small shop on the opposite side of the street from the partly destroyed residential building, but he was stopped short by a tug at his right ankle. Sera caught him by the leg with one hand before he could slip away from her reach and swung him back down into the floor savagely with a roar that echoed through the empty streets like a shrieking valkyrie in the night. She attempted to pin his chest down with her other hand as his body rocked from the impact, but he parried her descending hand with a swipe of his right foot, rolled over onto his stomach and sprung up with a push of both hands to deliver a kick to her face. Sera stumbled backwards, holding her face as the commander landed on his feet and he whipped around, dipping low to knock the legs out from under her with an elegant sweep.

"Hm?" Trigger spun around when he heard a loud crash and turned his attention to the floating prison above. The bottom portion had fallen to the city below, destroying one of the buildings positioned beneath it. As a result the blue light was able to pour out from the crevasse like a searchlight from the heavens. Megaman was calling him, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to answer him. "Almost there." He said to himself before running to the shop with a jump and kicking off the side to send himself up to the ledge of the adjacent building. He looked to the tallest structure, a tower at the center of the city, and took off in its direction, kicking from ledge to ledge without looking back to check if Sera had gotten back up. He kicked off another ledge and readied himself to roll upon touching down on the roof of the next building when-

**_[[_**_ "Commander!" Alia cries out to him, reaching out for him. "Watch out!" **]]**_

"Dammit!" Trigger cried out, the vision momentarily stolen from him, and **_*SHBAM* _**he crashed onto the roof sloppily with an unsteady skid from the impact. His body skipped across the length of the roof, rolling without any signs of stopping until he reached the edge, falling to the street below with a thud. Then, as if the sound seemingly alerted Sera of his location, she appeared in his line of vision and descended upon him again. He reflexively aimed his right hand at her and it responded naturally, turning into his trusty buster cannon. "Huh?" He gasped at the unexpected transformation, but he steeled himself and began firing. The plasma shots pelted against her in a torrent, sending her nose dive off course, into the side of the building that he fell from. The structure groaned as if it had been mortally wounded. He was going to have to get away quickly or the whole thing might come down on him while he laid there savoring the relief.

Trigger sighed and kissed the side of the cannon like a dear friend. "Missed you." He breathed out before getting back to his feet, however, his recovery was short lived as the wall beside him was smashed open without a warning to anyone.

"RAAAGH!" A taloned hand reached out through the hole and gripped his face, holding him in place as Sera tore down the remains of the wall with the rest of her body. "I tire of this, Trigger!"

"Not to worry!" The commander directed his buster cannon to her face smoothly. "It'll be over soon!"

Sera's vision was engulfed in a white light as the first shot was discharged, but her grip remained firm around his head much to his annoyance, so he shot again and again until he felt her claws tremble from the strain of trying to keep hold of him. Just when it seemed like she was about to let up from the barrage of shots, Trigger got an unexpected retaliation in the form of-

"Enough!" With that scream Sera's body exploded in a blinding, gold light and he felt her talons retract from him; shrinking away, he noted to himself.

"Wha-" Trigger blinked, unsure of what she had done until a disorienting fist struck him across the face. "Guh!" He stumbled back, put off balance by the swift attack and tried to focus his eyes, but-

**_Wham!_**

Another fist struck him across the face, wiping out his vision a second time. He detected quick footfalls approaching from his left side and attempted to defend himself blindly, throwing his arms up in a defensive position.

_**Whack!**_

A kick whipped him across the jaw from his right, knocking him down to his knees as he desperately rubbed at his eyes with one hand in a vain attempt to get his vision to return, all the while trying to keep from falling on his side by supporting himself with the other. His opponent was relentless, snatching him up by the neck with one hand to force him to stand back up on his two feet before continuing the brutal assault. He could feel anger with every sound strike of her fist.

**_Shpab! Shpow!_**

Two punches knocked him back, followed by a nearly endless pounding of uppercuts to his stomach. Trigger swore that he heard the beating of her heart in his ears before Sera was done with him, finishing him off with a kick to the stomach that sent him skidding across the street on his back until his head hit the curb of a sidewalk.

"...Ungh." Trigger groaned. He was getting too weak. At this rate she would either take him, or he would lose grips with himself and be absorbed into raw data, and yet... "Ha...haha..." He couldn't help, but laugh at his situation. He could hear Sera approaching him, but he couldn't care for it. He made no attempt to defend himself against the inevitable strikes that would come raining down on him like shotgun shells. He simply laid there, and bided his strength. This would be his last run. Victory or self destruction.

**_[[_**_"Ah…I see." The Master sounds disappointed in him. "Sera has planted the seeds of doubt within you." **]]**_

"M-Master?" Trigger groaned the name of his oldest friend.

**_[[ _**_"Remember, the Master says illogical things at times. If he does, ignore him." Sera lectures Trigger, staring down at him contemptuously. **]]**_

Trigger smiled to himself weakly. "O-oh...just a memory."

_**[[ **"Trigger…don't do anything rash." Yuna tells him, taking cautious steps toward him. "You're smarter than this." **]]**_

"Trigger." The former commander feels himself get lifted up to his knees as Sera's voice cuts through to him. "Are you listening to me?" Her voice is surprisingly soft.

He didn't open his eyes, but he nodded to her with a smile still gracing his handsome face and it mystified her. "I'll try."

"Will you continue this fruitless endeavor?" Sera asked. "Judging by the sight of you, I can safely assume that you're reaching the limits of your strength."

"Sera?"

The silence hangs between them for a while before the mother unit responds with a simple, "Yes?"

"Why do you hate me?" His question hits her harder than any kick or punch he can deliver, and he punctuates it with a tear that swells in his left eye. One that slips down the side of his face far too quickly far her to follow, and for some reason she feels her own shoulders begin to tremble. "I've got to say...I've put up with it practically all my life, but only now am I really curious to know." His smile never leaves him. "I guess it never really hurt me so much as it does now."

**_[[ _**_"Do you have friends, Sera?" The second commander asks Sera, not wanting to appear too curious about her personal life._

_"Friends?" Sera blinks before she answers him. "...I don't believe I do." **]]**_

Sera swallowed, averting her eyes from his face despite him not opening his eyes to stare at her. "Hate you...?"

**_[[ _**_"You can never belong, Trigger." The cold mother unit stands from her seat, looking down on him with a frightening air of superiority. "Not in the age that I represent." **]]**_

"I don't..." Sera paused, for the first time, feeling a lump in her throat. "...not anymore."

"Sera." Trigger says her name again, making her flinch for reasons unknown even to herself. "I don't want to do this anymore. These fights between us...they need to end."

"I don't..." Sera feels the lump in her throat again. "...but...T-Trigger..."

"My friends..."

**_[[ _**_"I'll never forgive you for leaving a flower like Alia behind, but...we're still partners." Nero smiles at him. **]]**_

"Nero..."

**_[[ _**_"This pain inside you, Trigger..." Iris smiles up at him as she grips his hand. "Share it with us. You can't let it hurt all alone." **]]**_

"...Iris..."

**_[[ _**_"I worry for your safety, Trigger." Striker tells him grimly. "Your compassion, it may bring down sorrow upon your friends one day, and I include myself in that unfortunate group." **]]**_

"...Striker..."

**_[[ _**_"GET GOING WILL YA?" Alia screams at him, tears stinging her eyes. **]]**_

"A...Alia...It's time that I came to see you guys."

"Trigger!" Sera snapped at him. "You dare say farewell when you still have a person who considers you a dear friend?"

Trigger grunted uncertainly.

"I understand," Sera's voice began to crack. "I understand that you and I have never been what can be labeled as friends, a-and I understand...I...I understand that I have no right to be your friend, but..." Sera paused again as she studied the commander's face. "But Yuna...is she not a reason to linger in this world? Do you realize how important you are to her...that she would shed bitter tears if you were to leave her? Do you bother to consider her feelings at all?" Sera rattled him as she berated him fiercely. "Even in the past she spoke so fondly of you, returning every afternoon from her walks with tales of Trigger, her most beloved friend! Am I to believe that you didn't feel the same way toward her?"

"...Yuna...I'd almost forgotten about her." Trigger's smile settled into a grim, pressed line.

**_[[_**_"And there are people who fear me?" Trigger asks, his emotions hidden beneath the chilling coolness in his voice._

_"But, Trigger, I don't fear you." Yuna speaks up immediately, approaching him without a shred of doubt present in her. "In fact, I feel far more comfortable whenever you're near me then when you're away." **]]**_

"Then stop this, Trigger." Sera pleaded to him. "If not for me...then for her. I beg of you..."

**_[[ "_**_M-Me, too." Veronica adds, a small smile on her face, though she does not approach him. "I guess that's just one of the characteristics about you, Trigger. You make others feel secure." **]]**_

"Oh, Ciel..." Trigger mumbled as he brought a hand to his forehead.

**_[[ _**_The second commander is caught off guard when Rebecca wraps her arms around the back of his neck and practically buries his face into her rather generous bosom. "It's very difficult not to adore you, Trigger. Of all the people I know, none of them can fill me with such warmth, not like you can." She holds him away much to his relief. "Veronica, for once, has said it best. That's just something that comes naturally for you." **]]**_

Trigger's fingers trembled as he tried to keep a grip of his forehead, "These memories...make them stop."

**_[[_**_"What she means to say is," ____Negative _Sera interjects, taking her place beside Positive Sera, "It saddens us to know that we may never cross paths again, so it hurts to say goodbye." **]]**

"Please." The purifier groaned in pain.

"Are you suffering, Trigger?" Sera inquired in a gentle voice, holding his head to her chest. "...I wish I could be the person you could depend on to take away the pain, but I suppose all I truly know is how to inflict." The mother unit looked up into the starlit sky and stared at the crumbling prison with an unreadable expression, clutching Trigger tightly against her as if to protect him from the blue light. "Once again I find myself cursing my own existence because of you, Trigger. So much power...I'm gifted with so much power, intelligence, all that I need to be capable of doing what it is that others desire of me, and yet these hands cannot grant me the things that I desire most."

"...And what is it that you desire most, Sera?" Trigger's muffled voice reached her ears, and she held him away to see that he finally opened his eyes. Since the blue flames of his soul had long extinguished themselves she could now see the color of his eyes, and they were no longer green and vibrant as they had always been when she looked into them. Right now they were giving her flashbacks of her confinement on Elysium with Yuna and Megaman. His eyes were dull gray, similar to Megaman's before he expired from the internal exhaustion of sacrificing himself.

"You." Sera answered him honestly, the barest of smiles tracing her lips.

**_[[ _**_"Why?" Rational Sera asks Trigger, a smirk gracing her lips. "Because you're afraid that you might lose your resolve? It's understandable, Trigger. After all, how could you be sure that they're not alive out there, experiencing the same thing that you are right now? Asking themselves if going on in this world is really worth the effort if it means being left alone."_

_Trigger stares at the emotional node long and hard before he responds, "...I have no right...to ponder that."_ **_]]_**

"What am I fighting for?" Trigger muttered so low that Sera thought he merely expelled a breath. His mind was slipping away, and his body was getting numb. "I've forgotten it all. What is it...that I'm trying to..." The former commander of the second unit was just about ready to resign himself to Sera and close his eyes, but something at the back of his mind tugged lightly. It was faint, however, it wouldn't allow him to slip away so easily.

**_[[ _**_"MegaMan, I don't know what your life was like before we met, but...Do what you think is right, no matter what! I'll keep, looking until I find my parents, but...you're the most important thing in my life! If not for you, I wouldn't have been able to do all the things I've done! That's why I know you'll do what's best for me-for everyone!"_ **_]]_**

"Ah..." A glimmer of green flashed in the reploid's eyes and he leaned against Sera, catching his breath. "That's right. This was never a choice for me to make."

"What?" Sera blinked. "What choice?" She asked him, but she leaned back when Trigger brought his face up close to hers.

"Sera, I'm sorry." And with that apology he leaned forward pressing his lips against hers gently, and the flustered mother unit could only tense up helplessly at the unexpected turn out of things. She didn't know what to do, how to react, so she simply allowed him to kiss her, closing her eyes and accepting the warmth that he offered her. She leaned against him as she parted her lips, acting on some strange instinct within her and Trigger took her silent invitation. For one moment the two of them truly became one, or at least that's how she felt at that instant, moving her tongue against his in a slow yet intense rhythm that made her quiver with a pleasure so foreign to her that it made her forget all of her fears and doubts for a single, crucial moment-

And that's all he ever really needed.

Trigger pulled back a little too early for Sera's expectations, bewitching her with a charming smile that stopped her dead in her tracks when she attempted to lean back into another kiss. "Sera, you've always been beautiful in my eyes." His words drew a soft gasp from her lips, and just as she was about to open her mouth to respond he cut her off- "So don't curse your own existence. You'd only trouble Yuna with that sort of outlook."

Sera stared at him with uncertainty in her eyes, looking lost and innocent, and Trigger made sure to burn the image in his fading mind. "Trigger?" The cold mother unit said his name questioningly.

"Promise me." He winked at her and snapped his fingers.

At that very moment Sera felt an odd sensation course through her body and- "AAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!" She threw her head back and screamed at the top of her lungs as blue flames ignited from her body in an explosion. She brought her hands to her head and clutched it, digging her nails against her skin as if intending to strip it off. "MY EYES!" She shrieked like she never had before in her entire life. Memories that weren't her own were invading at light speed, so loud, so bright, so colorful and filled with emotions. These memories, who did they belong to?

"Again, I'm sorry, Sera. I'd like to say the same to Yuna, but time isn't a luxury for me anymore, so I hope you'll do it in my place." Trigger apologized a second time, approaching her without a care for how the blue flames licked at him. He brought the suffering girl to his chest in a gentle embrace and kissed her forehead before lowering her down to the ground carefully where she writhed, tossing and turning about as she continued to clutch her forehead. "This is where I take my leave." And he turned away from her, walking to the tower without looking back.

"TRIG...!" Sera screamed, unable to get his entire name out of her mouth because of the pain. She reached out to his retreating form with one hand, falling on her face in the process and willed herself to crawl, but he was moving away too fast for her to catch up. "NOOOOOOOO!" She bellowed sorrowfully. "YOU C...CAN'T..." She tried to crawl faster, but her head hurt so much. It was pounding so hard. These voices, these names, the sounds of laughter. Whose memories were these? It wasn't Trigger's, it couldn't be his, so who did they belong to? Kattelox? Tron Bonne? Mother Lode? Roll Caskett? Were these Megaman's memories? She hated them! She wanted them out of her head!

"TRIGGER!" Sera wailed on and on, but he didn't come back to her. Why was he leaving her? It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair at all!

It took a while for Trigger to climb to the top of the tower in his half-dead state, but he managed without incident, holding the rails carefully so he wouldn't lose his footing somewhere along the winding staircase. Sera's screams must have echoed through the entire city, but he didn't react to any of her calls, he couldn't. So he climbed and climbed until finally he came to the spire where the blue light shined strongest. He aimed his buster cannon at the roof obstructing the light and concentrated, gathering energy into the cannon for a charged shot. The energy in his body poured into his right arm with a soft whirring noise and he let it off, obliterating the final obstacle separating himself from Megaman in a brilliant explosion. The destroyed fragments of data sparkled like hundreds of fireflies, consumed by the blue light the poured through the gaping hole.

Trigger's body began to glow when the light touched him and he closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh as the connection began. The prison above imploded, being reduced to chunks of raw data that swirled around the blue orb of light that was being held captive within. In time the chunks were reduced to small sparkling balls of light that were absorbed by the pulsing, blue orb causing it to grow slightly in size. It appeared to be using all the damaged data around it as a means of sustenance for the sleeping hero. Trigger looked closely to the center of the orb and distinguished a humanoid figure at the center curled in a fetal position. That was him alright.

"Well then..." Trigger reached out his hand to the sleeping young man. "...I guess it was kind of fun!" The reaction was immediate. Gradually bits of his fingertips were broken down into data to be swallowed up by the orb above, down to the roots of his fingers, to his hand and arm, and so on. It was a strange sensation, being broken down, but it wasn't unpleasant for him. In time his whole right arm had been absorbed and the absorption moved on to his left arm in a methodical process that seemed to move so slow it was almost painful to wait for it to end, especially with Sera's calls still ringing loudly in his ears. It was getting closer so she must have still been crawling to the tower in a desperate attempt to get to him.

"She'll be fine." Trigger told no one in particular, looking down to see his feet beginning to break down. "Sera and Yuna...they'll both be fine together on this planet." He smiled, though it was not a happy one. "And miss Caskett and Tron...they'll be happy to have Megaman back. It's not like I'll miss any of them, not in the short time I've had." He sighed. Both of his legs were gone now, and his lower body was following them in the absorption process. "...But I'll admit it feels a little lonely."

**_[[ _**_Trigger, listen to me. **]]**_

"Hm?" The purifier perked up at the voice in his head. "I thought the memories had left me already."

**_[[ _**_There's a very likely chance that you don't recognize my voice. I'm sure they removed every record and memory of me from your databanks before they brought you out of stasis, but I've left this message encrypted in your shutdown program to ensure that you'd hear it. **]]**_

"Aria?" The name rolled off his tongue so naturally that even he didn't notice it.

**_[[ _**_Now, if you're hearing this I can only assume that something major has happened to you and...well, I'm sorry, Trigger. I wanted so much to be there with you, for you. It was my greatest hope that I'd be able to have you at my side, but the EDEN fears me. They fear the reploids, and perhaps some of their fears can be justified, but there will be those who hate for petty reasons, and I can only hope that you haven't suffered their cruelty. But enough of that, forget that I even mentioned it. I'm sorry, I tend to say unnecessary things when I'm nervous...but that's fine. I have more than enough time to say as much as I want on this recording. Heh. If only I could have another conversation with you...that would really make me happy, but...ah, I'm doing it again. _

_Look, Trigger, I don't know how you've spent your life up to this moment, but I want you to know something: This life has always been yours. I created you because I wanted you to see the beauty in this world, and cherish it as I have. I wanted you to have friends that you could depend on and love, people that you could trust in. If these things were available to you then I'm overjoyed. I've done something right for a change...but if these things have been denied to you then just know that I love you; I always have and always will and I hope that you'll forgive me. That is all that I can ask of you at this point, but I will be selfish and plead a request of you. Please, don't die, Trigger. Fight whatever this hardship is that has brought you to the brink of death, and live. Please, live! Live so that we may meet each other one day. Live for me. Live so that I can see what has become of you in our time apart. Live so I can be reunited with the one I love above all else. Please Trigger...live, and I will find you someday. This I promise you.** ]]**_

"I'm sorry, Aria." Trigger apologized. He'd been making a lot of those today. "I've failed you again."

...

...

Sera was halfway up the tower by the time she managed to quarantine the memories that Trigger forced on her. She gripped the rails unsteadily as she proceeded upward, but she proceeded all the same, mumbling to herself the entire way up as if she was chanting a personal prayer. When she got to the top she saw the destruction that was left in Trigger's wake and she stopped herself. Her eyes slowly moved away from the savagely made skylight to the figure lying on the floor, and she turned away as soon as she got a glimpse. That was enough for her. She knew that this fight was over.

* * *

Sera awoke within the living room of the flutter without a start. She found a sheet draped over her and realized that everyone had fallen asleep, including her sister. The lights were off and the Flutter must have been docked somewhere because the sensation of flight was absent. That established, Sera stood from the couch, letting the cover fall to the ground without paying any mind to it, and proceeded out the room. She did all of this with her usual coolness. Here she wasn't a slave to her emotions, she wasn't the same person she was when she ventured within and she preferred it that way. It made this easier for her to do. So she climbed the ladder at the end of the hall, walked to the corner and turned, proceeded down to Megaman's room and turned the knob to open it. There Megaman's body laid atop the bed like a sleeping princess, and here Sera was to play her role as the prince to awaken him.

She approached the empty shell with a fluid walk, doing nothing to alert the blonde engineer that was sleeping at the corner of the room in an uncomfortable looking chair, arms crossed and cap tipped over her eyes. The mother unit sat beside him and reached out a hand to touch his face, but she thought twice about it, retracting her hand and resting it on his chest. Staring at his face for what almost seemed like forever, Sera finally decided that it was time to do what she came for. She leaned forward, dipping low to bring her face closer to his and she kissed him on the lips, not tenderly, but with a purpose.

When she pulled back she stood up and waited beside the bed silently, like a statue, and so she appeared, with such a cold expression on her face. At the first stir from the young man, which had come long after she had pulled away, her right hand clenched into a fist...and she waited.

"Hmmmm?" The young hero groaned, opening his eyes groggily as though he had just awoken from a very long sleep. He blinked at the ceiling curiously for a long time before propping himself up on his elbows and turning his head to the side, a very confused look coming upon his face as he came to regard her. It appeared as though he hadn't recognized her, but then the question came. "...M...Mistress Sera?" He spoke in a disoriented voice.

In the space of the moment that it took for him to send the signal to his brain to close his mouth, Sera's right fist came down on him faster than a swung sledgehammer. "Sleep a little longer, _Megaman._" Sera told the young man that she had just knocked out cold with such abhorrence in her voice that it sounded like a curse. She turned around to face Roll and she approached the girl, her fist now unclenched, but her face, surprisingly dark with suppressed emotion. "And as for you, miss Caskett...I apologize." Sera's expression softened. "If what I feel right now can hold a candle to what you felt when he was taken away from you, then you have my respect. You are strong...and I have much to learn."

Those words having been said, Sera turned away from Roll and made for the door. She closed the door behind her quietly and walked to the hatch, opening it with a turn and stepping outside into the darkness of night. A light breeze caressed her face when she did and Sera closed her eyes...and began to cry. Tears swelled behind her eyelids and trailed down her face. She closed the hatch behind her and descended from the docking platform, walking away from the Flutter without any particular destination in mind. She ventured into the forest that laid beyond the town Roll docked them at and walked on until the darkness swallowed her up completely, never looking back.

...And the girl was gone, never to return...

* * *

**_To Be Continued_**

* * *

**_Chapter Nineteen: Six Months _**

**_Legends Arc Four: Wild Heart_**


	19. Ignore It

**_Disclaimer_**: _Legends, wherever you may be now, I only hope to see you live again before I grow too old to care..._

**_Megaman Legends: Love Heist_**

**_Legends Arc Four: Wild Heart_**

_By Traingham_

_**Author's Note**: [[...]] -Intervening Memories-_

* * *

**_[ Episode Nineteen_**: **_Six Months_****_ ]_**

* * *

He dug into the pool of mud with his meaty hands, gathering fistfuls of the squelching mess like a man digging his own grave, and perhaps that was what he was doing right now. By the time that horrible woman realized that he wasn't back at that abandoned building with those captive children he would have nowhere to hide because a large man of his size could not possibly hope to bury himself under the mud fast enough, or more to the point, convincingly enough to be overlooked by her ineluctable eyes, but he did so anyway; he was that terrified of her.

Being a man with an extensive criminal record and a murky background, he had plenty of experience dealing with bounty hunters; it was one of many bumps along the road he had to deal with aside from the local authorities, and it certainly helped that he was such a tall and beefy fellow at that. He used his imposing stature to his advantage and pulled no punches in doing so, crushing anyone who dared to claim the lovely sum placed on his head (_Dead or alive nowadays, though there was an extra bonus for bringing him in alive_) and his ongoing freedom was a testament at him being damn good at it, so when that female bounty hunter with the short, blonde hair (A tomboyish cut with a few long bangs curving at an angle toward her left eye like sharp talons) and green eyes, wearing a fully customized coat of pink and white digging armor with curve hugging black leggings(very advanced top of the line digging armor, he figured) barged into his hideout, ordered him to lay down his arms and surrender his life to her capable hands he figured that she would fall just like the rest.

He fired at her with his rifle as soon as she made to approach him and she gracefully weaved between every shot like she had predicted the bullet trajectory before he even pulled the trigger. When distance no longer came between them as his most reliable mediator he settled on his trusty mitts to settle the matter personally, but the way she parried (indeed, parried_____–_not dodge) his meaty fists was nothing short of masterful, and when she dealt back what she had received from him–actually he felt that his memory wasn't all too reliable because he recalled being kicked through a few walls, knocked around like a saucy brat in the bathroom and thrown through another wall before getting the slip on her when he deactivated one of the locked cages of children to momentarily draw away her attention. Then again the bruises on his body couldn't have been a figment of his active imagination, nor could the pain in his upper back unless he had a pretty hyperactive imagination and even that would have been quite the understatement if it were true.

The beaten man stopped digging through the mud when despair finally overtook him in its icy grips. "Hahaha..." A laugh escaped his lips, but the haunting noise held no true note of amusement. "This is the end for me isn't it?" He clenched his hands into tight fists, letting the mucky earth squeeze through the spaces between his fingers and palms. "That crazy bounty hunter is going to be the one to bring me in!" He heard approaching footsteps through the dissonant melody of falling rain and all he could do was cry out desperately. "I won't accept it!" He rose to his feet and turned around to face his pursuer, the blonde hunter, and stumbled clumsily toward her with fists held up at the ready to strike her, but–

"On the ground, carbon." The young woman slammed a foot into his stomach, kicking him back into the pool of mud without sparing him a last hurrah. The way she put him down as though it was a matter of course, it was made clear to him that she never considered him a threat to her life."Fair warning. You don't want to prolong this encounter. I'm exceptionally proficient at what I do and you'll only be indulging me by mustering up any futile means of resistance."

The bumbling giant of a man coughed hoarsely as he crawled back, groaning with every jerk of his arms and legs. Had it been someone else watching him as he squirmed they might have believed him a pitiable fellow, but the armored girl's stare was that of an unflinching judge and his limbs were stiff under such arresting eyes. He held up a hand as if to halt her advance on him although she stood still, his arm rattling like the tail of a desert snake, with a cry of, "You've absolutely beaten me, hunter!" His arm fell to the mud with a pathetic splat that left splotches on the girl's boots. "I'm begging you, just let me go! After today I don't wanna carry on this lifestyle if people like you are going to keep kicking down my door!"

The young woman took a step into the mud after hearing his plea getting a startled flinch from the man. Advancing a step further she let her armored boot rest on his ankle where she twisted it deeper into the mud with a slow and deliberate turn of her heel, the look in her eyes all while she did it so untouched by human emotion that it made her all the more frightening. The man bit back a sharp cry of pain as she spoke over him. "What makes you believe it's easy as that?"

His skin, flushed with blood from excitement, had promptly drained leaving him pale as an untouched canvas. He let out a high pitched hiccup, throwing up both hands with a furious wave. "Wait, don't be so quick to pass judgement on me!" He stammered, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat with every nervous swallow. "I can pay you more money than any bounty placed on my head by the court! Trust me, I'm good for it! I have piles of money just lying around; I'll leave all of it to you if you just let me go!"

"You're mistaken." Her immediate reply to his bribe left him dumbfounded. It violated everything that a bounty hunter stood for to not even consider such a tempting offer, to not even barter for an even larger sum. What could this young woman have been here for if not the money_____–_his blood?

Cocking his head like a startled rooster, he asked her in a low croak, "What do you mean?" His voice steadily rose. "If you don't want money, then..." His fingers dug into the mud as his barrel chest filled with air, stretching out his torn shirt until it could stretch no further without opening at the tears.

"I'm not a bounty hunter." She raised her other foot, the one not grinding his ankle, and planted it on his chest to press him flat on his back against the mud, leg so strong that he could do nothing to raise himself against it. She pointed her clenched right hand toward his face, holding the forearm steady with her left hand and her right hand, up to the end of her forearm, transformed before the man's eyes into an arm canon. Within the barrel of the cannon was a smooth, rounded ruby-like plate that reflected his startled visage in its gleaming surface. "I'm a maverick hunter." Her plump, lovely lips curled into a contemptuous scowl. "And you meet all the conditions required for me to hunt you down, maverick."

"No, wait!" He screamed just before his vision completely whited out.

**_CHOOM~_**

"What makes you worth it?" The blonde hunter spat at the executed maverick with a clench of her teeth before removing her foot from his chest to turn and walk away toward the hideout. There were still children left inside to release, and of course, the matter of burning the building to the ground afterward. She didn't want anymore rats taking residence in there after all.

"Commander Trigger..." She spoke the name in bittersweet reverence to herself as she walked. "What ever made any of them worth it?"

* * *

**_[[_ **_"As a creation you have the right to ask why you were brought into existence. It is, after all, the greatest mystery that all things in the universe are faced with discovering." A woman's voice speaks to him from the haze in his mind and the world is but a ray of light shining down on him. "Is it for the fulfillment of some grand scheme? We would all like to think so."_**_]]_**

The body ached and the mind was addled. It felt as if he was in control of an unresponsive vehicle and every turn of the ignition only made the engine choke. He knew he was awake somehow, but his muscles were ignoring all attempts he was making of getting them into service.

**_[[_ **_"As the one who created you I should have an answer to that question, but try as I might it eludes even myself." The woman's voice approaches closer with every word and soon the blinding light is blotted out by a figure that stands over him. The shadow cast from the intense light makes it impossible to see her face. "I guess the reason is because I'm still looking for the answer to that question. What am I now as I look upon you in all of your splendor? Am I a scientist, or am I a warrior?" A cool hand caresses his face with a tenderness that seems uncharacteristic of this particular woman. "Am I a reploid, or dare I think myself a woman comparable to my own mother?"_**_]]_**

Megaman struggled to break free of the paralysis he was under, ever eager to stretch out and regain control over himself, but the bindings over his mind as well as his body were strong. Something alien was trying to reach out to him through the intangible fog, to pass on a message of some sort, but he could not bear to restrain himself any longer to hear it out. He needed to see their faces again or he would surely go mad.

**_[[_** _"Are you an idea given form to represent my pride-my darkest desires, or do you embody my hopes and dreams of being more than what I myself am allowed to be? Oh, Trigger, I fear that to examine that any further would only burden you with more mysteries than is frankly bearable, but perhaps with time you can be the one to provide me with answers. It is selfish of me, but I know if anyone can do it, you can. Live Trigger; find the answers and tell me all about what you've discovered when we meet again one day. I wait anxiously for the day to come."_**_]]_**

"Grmph!" The young digger's face nearly went red with over exertion as his fists clenched so tightly that his fingertips bit into the palm of his gauntlets. His body trembled, rattling the mattress beneath him and with a final push he broke free of the invisible shackles that held him, rising up into a sitting position with cry of unbridled frustration that startled the other occupant of the room into a waking, jerking forward in the chair she was sleeping on into an upright position from the wall with her hat still cast over her face.

"Mega-" Roll Caskett cried out, snatching the red cap off her head to look in his general direction. Seeing her partner staring back at her, his shoulders rising and falling with exhaustion, she could only take her cap in both hands and clutch it to her chest with the precariousness of a child. "...M..." Her lips came together to sound out the 'M', but they pressed into a straight line as her eyes began to redden. She feared to ask because the answer could crush her, but with courage she voiced the question anyway, "Who are you?"

The blue clad digger threw his legs off the bed clumsily to stand, but his left leg wobbled and gave out dropping him on one knee with the kind of finesse one could only expect of a reanimated corpse. The blonde engineer flinched forward on reflex wanting so very much to run over and support him, but her legs wouldn't allow her to budge and inch forward from fear of the answer she might receive from his lips.

"Roll!" The spell broke when the engineer heard him earnestly cry her name and she drew toward him so quickly that she could have flown over to his side, taking a knee beside him to help him maintain his balance before he could fall over. "I'm back!" He told her as he would on the return of any other day, and she wouldn't have heard it any other way in her dreams.

Her vision a blur with tear filled eyes, she brought a hand to the back of his head and pressed her forehead against his. "You're serious?" She was forcing the words out of her throat in a harsh, cracked voice. "I don't think I can suffer waking from another dream. I've already lost my mind."

Megaman placed a hand to the back of her head as well, letting his fingers sink into her golden mane. "Could I be anyone else?" He asked her with a chuckle, and that was as much as she could endure before crying loudly, knocking him back against the side of the bed with a hug.

"You have no idea!" She cried to him, her words almost incoherent as a result. "I swear, if I ever see you get on a shuttle for space again I will personally shoot it down! You know I'm capable!"

"Roll, I don't think there's a person on Earth that could convince me to do that again." He told her, his words intended to be mirthful, but his blonde companion was too busy relishing the familiar warmth of his voice in her ears to care what anything he said meant. She could hug him for an eternity if the world allowed her as much, however, a turn of the doorknob and a quick entry stole the moment away from her.

"Sera?!" Yuna called for her sister as she walked in. "You probably shouldn't be in..." Her jaw nearly went slack when she saw the digger and spotter embracing. Of all the things she had expected to be met with (_Roll strangling Sera barehanded being one recurring possibility_) this did not make the list at all. The gentle mother unit was so dumbfounded by the scene she could only manage a low whisper of, "Oh dear."

**_..._**

**_..._**  
"Ow!" Megaman pulled back once Roll pressed a bag of ice to his forehead. Being reunited with her and the others had brought him such relief that the angry swell on his forehead had been completely disregarded by his steadily recovering mind until his best friend pointed it out with a poke of her finger, at which point it began to hurt for seemingly no other reason than to keep from being ignored like an indignant guest.

"This doesn't look like an accident." Roll observed suspiciously, turning his head to the side by the chin to inspect the knot from an alternative angle. "Not much in that room that you could have bumped your head against-not this hard and especially not lying on your back anyway." Which pointed her thoughts toward other likely sources, like the one person not present in the Flutter at the moment. How coincidental that she would be absent on the day of Megaman's return. "Where did she go off to?" The engineer's eyes flicked over to Yuna curiously, returning to the bump on Megaman's head without anything further to inquire on that subject. While Roll would have loved nothing more than to rub that arrogant gynoid's nose all over the fact that Megaman disproved her oh so confident claims that he would never return, she certainly was not dense to the fact that there was more than one person missing in this room today. Putting those two together did not bring about pleasant feelings, and Yuna's present aloofness did nothing to alleviate the heavy feeling that the blonde engineer harbored just thinking about what may have been lost in exchange for what was gained.

"How do you feel, m'boy?" Barrell asked the young man, standing in a group with the other three (_Bleucher, Ira, and Amelia's maid, Shelke_) while Roll tended to Megaman on the living room couch. Yuna and Data stood separately from the others, watching on from the opposite side of the couch; in Data's case, being so much smaller in size and stature compared to everyone else_____–_standing on the arm rest.

"Sore all over actually." Megaman replied to the bearded digger, the grin on his face a faint one. "Must be from all of the fighting I did on Elysium." He chuckled, and yet everyone else in the room weren't sharing in on the humor he realized. Instead Roll and the others were giving him, as well as one another, looks that were begging the question- "What?" He asked, feeling uncomfortable after the wave of expressions that passed over the faces in the room. "Why is everyone doing that?" He looked to Roll when no one provided an answer. "Roll?"

"Megaman." The blonde engineer spoke hesitantly, lowering the ice bag from his forehead to rest it on her lap with. Her fingers clenched around the bag allowing the water inside to press out between her digits. "It's been weeks since you three were brought down from Elysium."

"Huh." The blue hero responded flatly, a blank look gracing his handsome face. "I've been sleeping that long?"

"It's..." Roll looked down at her lap. "You mean, you really don't remember anything you did after you woke up in the hospital?" The question made the young man's shoulders hop up slightly.

"Wait, Roll, that's impossible." He told her, brows furrowed. "I just woke up, not even an hour ago in my room. You were there when it happened." He looked to everyone else and he suddenly felt very lonely as he studied their faces, all appearing dubious of his claim. "Are you guys kidding me? I haven't done anything since I passed out on Elysium! Are you seriously going to tell me that I've been walking around in my sleep?"

Bleucher couldn't help himself, opening his mouth to respond, "You did a great deal more than walk, kid. Try sleep running, sleep crime fighting, and those are just the things we know you've done." It prompted a discreet kick from his friend Barrell to shut up, and for some reason Ira joined in with a kick of her own before Shelke could come in and pull the young lady away.

Tearing away a glare from the older gentleman whom felt it was rightly undeserved, Roll looked back to Megaman. "It's crazy, I know, but you definitely weren't yourself when you woke up in Yosyonke. You didn't talk the same way, walk the same way_____–_you even claimed that you didn't know who I was." Roll blinked away the tears that began to form beneath her eyelids, but a stray got away. "I honestly thought that I had lost you."

Mistress Yuna cleared her throat to cut in before the mood could take another plunge into the gloom. "Normally this would be Sera's cue to put things into perspective, but she's not around so I'll have to take it upon myself, I suppose." She announced with a smile, one that made the skin on Roll's back crawl. The gentle gynoid was playing the part she was expected to take, but she clearly didn't want to. "Megaman," Yuna addressed the confused hero, "I know now that I was wrong to think of you as the same person I knew on Elysium. You and Trigger have always been two completely separate people; these past few weeks have made that very clear to me, and I think Sera caught on to that bit of information much quicker than I had." She pointed to the bump on his forehead. "That would be why you have that swell on your forehead, and also the reason why my sister isn't here right now to welcome you back."

Megaman stared back at Yuna like she had just dumped a bucket of cold water over his head. "You mean someone else was walking around with my body?"

The smile on Yuna's face twitched, her expression looking for a moment as if she had just held back a sharp sneeze. "I could just come out and say it, you know, but sometimes the truth can do...unintended damage to the recipient. All you need to know is, Trigger is the reason why you were able to wake up, and if you should feel grateful toward anyone for that at all it should be him."

"But what does it mean?" The young man asked her clearly shaken. "If he woke up in my body then..." He paused with a swallow. "Who is Trigger?" Perhaps he knew more to that than he was frankly willing to admit to and that was understandable. To admit to another identity was like suicide itself. Yuna had the feeling that to confirm his own suspicions would not have been the right thing to do. Not now, anyway.

"It doesn't matter now who Trigger is." She replied, her voice calm and quite cruel in its neutrality given who she was referring to, and Roll could not have disagreed more with that statement, exclaiming, "Yuna, you can't mean that!"

"Roll, I'm grateful that you feel that way." Yuna told the carbon girl with a grateful bow. "But the evidence is so clear that Trigger is gone. Sera's only motivation for remaining aboard the flutter was to keep close to him, and while I can't say what transpired over the course of last night it would be in bad taste to assume that Megaman's return was the cause of some unexplainable miracle. I can only guess that Trigger was still somehow struggling against Sera after she brought him back onboard, and..." Her eyes stared right through Roll when she took to pause. The mother unit appeared for a moment untouched by time and circumstance, removed from the world and not wanting to return and when she spoke again it was with reluctance that she continued, "...prevailed."

"So does that mean you'll..." Roll trailed off and the mother unit nodded her head.

"I must go find my sister." Yuna declared. "For her to leave in the middle of the night without a word is telling that she shouldn't be left alone. She would like to fool others into believing that she is immovable-that she is always in complete control, but the truth is her emotions deeply affect her as a result of her self imposed restrictions." She stole a glance at Megaman, a subtle pass that didn't go unnoticed by Roll. "Knowing that Trigger is in some way responsible for her emotional distress is reason enough for me to feel uneasy about her sudden leave. Somehow he always got under her skin like no one else."

"What can I do to help?" Megaman shot the question at the mother unit, the words leaving without any clear intent placed behind it. Right now he just wanted to be pointed in some kind of direction otherwise he would be left to mull on his own problems, that being the issue of his identity. He could brave the dark depths of ancient ruins by his lonesome, he could tackle a reaverbot of any size or temperament, and he could handle the weight of the world if necessary, but solving the mystery as to why another person could walk around with his body like a cheap rental was the thing of nightmares that he could do without weighing his mind, and Yuna understood that need more than anyone could give her credit for. Even still...

"You can remain here with Roll and get the much deserved rest you need." Yuna suggested, her stare almost chiding him for even thinking of leaving the lovely Caskett after having just returned to her. The young man had a good heart, but his head definitely wasn't in the right place concerning some of the basic sensibilities of human relations. "It is a kind gesture, however, I don't believe Sera would respond kindly to the idea of you seeking her out with me."

"That can't be right." The blue hero argued against her reasoning, recalling quite clearly that not long before he fell into a comatose state he and Sera had come to a mutual understanding in Elysium. "Me and Sera..." He felt his tongue weigh heavily with a creeping sense of indecision as his memories couldn't seem to settle on the blushing Sera (_occupying Yuna's body_) he last saw before he lost consciousness on the colony or the hazy figure that stared down at him through the fog in his memory, a stone faced sentinel with an upraised fist that vanished under a wave of darkness. "...we've put our pasts behind us. She has no reason to dislike me."

"I have my own suspicions regarding that conversation, truth be told." Yuna quipped flatly. "Though the longer I stay around here the farther my answers will be." She looked to everyone in the room, stopping to meet Roll's eyes before nodding a farewell. "I have to get a move on before Sera's trail goes cold, assuming she hasn't gone out of her way to become a wandering ghost. I can't sense or link up with her so she's already traveled very far from here. Farewell." She turned away and headed out through the door of the living room.

Megaman rose away from Roll, knocking the bag of ice out the hand she had pressed to his forehead by mistake with his elbow. "Roll, I_____–_" He glanced back at her, already halfway to the door, to apologize when he heard Barrell and the others flinch as the bag hit the floor, but he tore his eyes away from his startled childhood friend and opened the door to pursue the mother unit. "Yuna, wait!" His voice cried out to the tanned skin gynoid once the door closed behind him like a stab to the blonde engineer's heart.

"No, Megaman, wait up!" Roll shot up from her seat, knocking Data off the armrest as she zipped past him, but a sharp cry from Barrell stopped her at the door, slamming both of her clenched fists against the solid, steel surface before she looked over her shoulder to regard him with an impatient plead of, "Grandpa, please, not now!"

"No, Roll." The old digger said sternly, holding her back with a sharp stare. "I understand the feeling more than you know, girl, but right now Megaman's problems can't be solved by us. Those two girls may be the only ones who can guide him through this."

"Who decides that?" Roll shot back at her grandfather frustratedly. "I know Megaman better than her or Sera! He isn't the person that woke up in Yosyonke, I'm certain of that much!"

"But Megaman isn't running to you for answers right now, is he?" Barrell said what he knew would be cruel to hear, but necessary to keep his granddaughter in line and it worked. Roll's green eyes held back a storm of resentment that was all but plain to see after hearing the old digger put her down with the truth, but she didn't disobey. She bowed her head against the door wanting so very much to evaporate from the onlooking eyes before she could succumb to the tantrum that was struggling to explode against her better judgement. How dare he hold her back when her best friend was possibly on the verge of leaving her behind again? How dare he force her to take that risk when that monumental loss was on the line?

"Wait!" Megaman caught Yuna's attention as she was about to climb the ladder to the main level of the Flutter, however, the expression he was met with once she turned to face him was less than accommodating. He could feel her reprimanding him through the noticeable edge in her eyes like a disappointed elder.

"Megaman if you should look to anyone for answers it shouldn't be me." She advised him, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm practically a stranger to you, and you choose me over a room filled with friends. Why do something so..." Yuna let the question die on her tongue before she could say something hurtful.

"But you know the truth about me." Megaman's response made Yuna close her eyes with a sigh. When she opened them again she cracked a smile, her left hand followed suite to the side of his face like a firecracker. It went by so quickly that the young man was left dazed by the blow. "Uwaah!"

"Only the young can be forgiven for being fools, Megaman." Yuna berated him, her anger tranquil and frightening given her usual disposition. "What truth? Do you mean to say that your life on Terra has been nothing more than a lie?"

Holding his smarting cheek with one hand Megaman did his best to remain dignified. "No_____–N_o, that's not what I meant at all."

"Your memories of growing up with Roll and Barrell, are those lies to you?"

He shook his head quickly. "No_____–_of course not!"

"And the adventures you've had, the people you've met, the things you've done, could you bear to have those memories tarnished under the claim of being a fabrication?"

"I treasure them!" Megaman cried out. "And I want to make more while I live out my days on this planet!"

"That is your truth, Megaman." The gentle mother unit confirmed for him. "Keep on living as you always have. Be the selfless individual that everyone cherishes, the young man that Roll Caskett and Tron Bonne wept over when all hope nearly seemed lost. To live any differently would be a lie and an insult not only to those who believe in you, but to yourself as that individual." She raised the hand that she slapped him with and placed it upon his head tenderly. "Now go back to your family." She grinned sheepishly. "Silly girl that I am, I let mine get away from me."

It wasn't long after the young hero and the mother unit part ways that he returned to the living room to face his shame. There were certainly better ways to conduct oneself in the middle of a long awaited reunion and bolting out of the room like someone had dropped a lit match into a keg of gasoline was definitely not one of the advised courses to take in making it memorable, which was especially true when your body wasn't in the condition to run to begin with, and the soreness was a lingering reminder to you that another person had been making intensive use of your body while you were out on a forced vacation. Luckily for Megaman, Roll and Barrell were gracious enough not to chew him out on sight for making such a tactless decision, though the red clad engineer eyed him with her arms crossed like an embittered parole officer. The look that his surrogate father fixed him with didn't look any less displeased.

"I don't like the idea that there's more to me than I can understand. It makes me feel, well, vulnerable." He brought a hand to the side of his head to twist a strand of his long, brown hair between his thumb and forefinger. With no one offering a response to his opening statement he couldn't be sure if he was expressing his feelings well enough. "At the same time I'm embarrassed at the fact that I'm so afraid of what I don't know about myself that I would chase after the answers without considering the consequences of my actions." He glanced at Roll and Barrell's faces before looking aside to focus on a spot on the floor while he went about formulating his thoughts for what else to say. "Running out of the room like that..." He stopped twisting his hair and sheepishly placed his hand at the back of his neck. "...didn't accomplish a thing. On top of making a needless scene I probably hurt the feelings of the two people who know all of the things about me that should actually matter to me."

Roll uncrossed her arms at hearing that past statement, her expression softening somewhat as she moved her right hand to grip her left arm. Barrell's nose twitched, but his expression remained stone like, comparable to the contemplative countenance of a Greek bust.

Megaman, relieved to see that his words were being received well, spoke on more confidently. "I accept the fact that I was another person before I lived out my life as Megaman Volnutt, but I shouldn't allow that to interfere with who I am now, and I'm sorry that I let it to come to that." He alternated looks between Roll and Barrel after he was done with his apology, hoping to whatever higher power that his face wasn't slick with sweat or the fact that his knees were just about at the point of giving out beneath him was readily apparent to everyone.

"Eep!" Megaman looked down beside his foot when he heard Data's unmistakable squeak and could not have been more grateful toward his longtime companion for breaking the silence, startling as it was for the data drive to just come out and talk. Even Barrell nearly jumped at the noise despite himself.

The robotic monkey regarded him a look of relief, or the closest thing it's digitally, simian face could manage toward relief given its limited emoticons (_Who knew how that worked_)."That puts me at ease, Megaman! For a second there I almost thought you were really going to leave us again!" With the air of tension brutally bludgeoned to a fine purée by Data's teeth gnashingly, high pitched voice just about everyone else was ready to finally speak, with Barrel, surprisingly, coming before Roll in the lineup.

"You almost got me going too, tough guy!" Barrell tried to mask the crack in his voice when he snapped at his surrogate son, but the young man could tell that the old digger had been holding back tears. "Stop running around and settle down already!" He threw his hands up, unable suppress himself any longer. "I've had enough grief to last me the rest of my life!"

"I'm really sorry, grandpa." Megaman apologized, hands now at Roll's waist to ease her off of him before her nose could travel any further up his neck. How she managed to ensnare him in her arms from where she had been standing originally was anyones guess really, however, while he assumed that she wasn't intentionally sniffing him it was beginning to make him feel slightly uncomfortable with the way her breathing tickled his skin, perhaps for more reasons than he had the willingness to investigate at the current time. That she had yet to vocalize toward anything that was said in the room up to this point only made his discomfort that much harder to ignore.

"Hmm?" Roll made a displeased guttural sound at having been held away by him, wanting very much to hold him against her again.

"Do you forgive me, Roll?" Had his voice been any sweeter to her ears she might have happily gone deaf.

"How could I not forgive you?" Roll told with sincerity, and though she didn't smile as was her usual way Megaman knew that she was happy to have him back. The way she squeezed his shoulders was a great tip off. "Just promise that you'll believe in me...in all of us to help whenever you come to the point of feeling overwhelmed. I want you to trust us to have your back."

Megaman grinned, knowing very well that what Roll truly meant to hold him to was his trust in her. "I know you have my back, Roll. Many of the reasons that I'm still alive are proof of that."

Finally a smile came to Roll's face as she tried her best not to let his words get to her head too much. "Yeah, well, I can't let you handle everything on your own." She averted her eyes from the sight of his face, finding that his charming grin was too much to take in at such a close proximity. She feared that if she were to continue to stare at him she might just start giggling away in front of everyone like a love struck fool. "I mean, what kind of friend would I be, right?"

Barrell, however, didn't get this far into his life without picking up on subtleties in human behavior and the way Roll went from brooding to being unable to keep herself from beaming just from receiving a few kind words from the young hero was too obvious to even bother calling her out on. Megaman didn't even make the promise she asked for and she was already competing with the sun for the title of brightest shining existence known to man. "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with how fast this is developing."

Bleucher's sharp ears caught his friend's grumbling and he couldn't help but laugh, just loud enough for the others to glance back at him. "What a fine mess this is, right, old friend?" The taller gentleman slapped Barrell on the shoulder a little harder than necessary and the old digger looked just about ready to deliver a right cross in riposte.

"Keep quiet or I'll leave them on your ship until the storm blows over!" Barrell snapped not intending to be heard by his two charges, but the two teenagers in question overheard prompting Roll Caskett to snatch her hands away from Megaman as though the very contact with his skin had burned her fingertips before taking a quick step back. Said young man wasn't nearly as quick on the uptake, as in he did not react at all, which was particularly worrying, especially for Roll or any other young woman dying to take her place of which there were many (_Depending on whether you had a television or met him directly)_.

Bleucher only laughed harder. "I fear the ship might not be big enough to contain it!"

Ira, unsure what to make of their talk of the weather, looked to the frowning Shelke for some clarity on the conversation. "What storm, huh?" Her innocence brought a bittersweet tug in the maid's chest.

"What it means is..." The expression Shelke made, trying to put the expression into words that would be subtle enough to get past the radar, perfectly conveyed how awkward she felt at being asked that question. "...love is like a, er, snow cone."

Ira took that moment to blink. "A snow cone?"

"Sometimes it hurts when you try to take it all in at once, but if you hesitate too long it'll melt away." The maid elaborated clumsily, staring into Ira's big eyes. With every blink Shelke felt her confidence in her own level of expression suffer another blow.

The younger girl's response was, predictably, "That doesn't explain much."

"Give it two more years." Shelke replied dismissively. "You'll be staring up at your ceiling all night when my words return to haunt you."

"Well now!" Bleucher's baritone voice rumbled jovially in the two girl's ears startling them out of their exchange. "Are we just going to stand in this living room all day, or are we going to do this properly?"

Megaman regarded the dapperly dressed business tycoon, purposely seeing past the disappointed look that Roll simply refused to pull away from him since stepping away earlier. "Do what properly?"

"Celebrate your return, of course!" Bleucher replied, staring back at him incredulously. "You're a hero, kid! It would be rude not to make a big deal of this momentous day!"

"That is not a bad idea." Barrell agreed, feeling that it was about time this drama was brought to a close. "We've been spent with grief for so long that I don't remember the last time we all sat down together and had a good time."

"We haven't done any real shopping in a while." Roll said with a shrug of her shoulders, deciding not to include the fact that the majority of their rainy day funds was poured into the rescue program with just about everything else they could scrape out without resorting to starvation. "I don't think we're in the position to splurge." For some reason the sudden movement in her peripheral inspired a certain sense of dread, perhaps because her words may have triggered an unfavorable flag.

"We can return to Kattelox!" Ira's suggestion was that flag, sounding the klaxon alarms in the blonde engineers mind. It didn't help matter at all that Bluecher and Barrell were absolutely onboard with the idea for differing reasons, but together all the same. "Mayor Amelia is definitely going to want to see Megaman, especially with his memory back."

Bleucher raised his hand to cup his bearded chin, stroking it and twisting the whiskers. "The food she had prepared for us last time was certainly delicious. I don't see why not."

"You don't try very hard to conceal your true intentions." Barrell snarked to his friend before looking to Megaman. "What do you say to the idea, Megaman? I think getting back to Kattelox would be a great idea for your first time out and about."

Megaman smiled. "I couldn't think of anything better, gramps."

"Oooh, but wait!" Roll held up a hand sheepishly. It was way too early to head back, especially since her last visit to the island didn't go so well. Crash landing in front of the city gates, pushing through the concerned officers that came to investigate the loud noise, ignoring every person that recognized her to make a beeline for Amelia's residence and then barging into said residence likely did things to the 'Good Girl' image that she had left behind when her and Megaman left the island. That was bound to turn around and bite her in the ass. "I don't think we should do this. I mean, just dropping by without announcing ourselves..."

"Amelia wouldn't mind." Shelke assured Roll, her expression a hint suspicious as if she knew exactly what sort of distress the other girl was feeling. "She was disappointed when Megaman left the way he did last time, after all."

"We'd be imposing, surely!" Roll argued, her concern genuine but not for the right reasons.

"Are you kidding?" The maid waved her concern away. "The mayor lives for this sort of thing. Having an excuse to let loose after dealing with the citizens suggestions and complaints all day is just what she needs."

Roll's hands clutched her stomach as the nausea hit her. "...Excuse me." And she made her exit.

"Hey, Roll?" Megaman's head turned as she walked past him, his eyes following her until she opened the door and closed it behind her. "She looked just fine a second ago."

Barrell hummed in the back of his throat, not lost on the joke. "It'll pass."

* * *

_**[ LOVE ]**_ _MEGAMAN LEGENDS_ **_[ HEIST ]_**

* * *

_**[**_ **_To Kattelox–Again __]_**

"Megaman Volnutt!" The lovely mayor Amelia welcomed the blue hero into her home with a hug once he passed inside with Barrell and the rest of the Flutter crew. Roll Caskett did her best to remain as inconspicuous as possible under the watchful eyes of the maids that lined the entry hall of the residence, her hat tipped just a little lower over her eyes than usual. Shelke, while being the one to wholeheartedly support Ira's idea to return to Kattelox, didn't seem as pleased to be back as one might have assumed she would have been.

Releasing Amelia, Megaman greeted her politely. "It's good to see you again, Mayor. I know its technically the second time I've returned, but it still feels like I haven't been here in ages."

Barrell cleared his throat, stepping beside his surrogate son to grip his shoulder comfortingly. "No need to play the part, Megaman." He told him, squeezing lightly before he looked to Amelia. "He's regained his memory, Amelia, but everything that's happened between him waking from his coma in the hospital and this morning is nearly wiped absent from his mind."

Amelia crossed her arms with concern, casting a sympathetic look upon Megaman. "To regain old memories yet somehow lapse in recent ones, how bizarre." She gasped with a mixture of shock and delight, which understandably confused Megaman. "So you've forgotten everything you've done at Archhalo island, and the explosion at the newly surfaced ruins of Bohemia island?"

"I did what at Archhalo island?" Megaman quirked an eyebrow before alternating glances between Barrell whose beard shifted side to side but offered no explanation, and Roll who looked as though she just got pinched in the arm. Coming to the unfortunate conclusion that they would be of no help to him he resigned himself to telling Amelia, "I guess I have forgotten all of that."

"Luckily I have them both recorded!" She informed him, her enthusiasm not very unlike that of a collector wanting to show off their latest acquisitions, and she took his hand to lead him into the dining hall leaving everyone else, particularly Barrell and Roll, to exchange uneasy stares. "Come, I'll show you!" Her voice was heard after she and Megaman disappeared into the next room.

"This is moving too fast!" Roll told her grandfather, effectively sticking out from the group now and not caring one bit about it. "He already has enough on his mind after hearing what Yuna had to say this morning! For him to actually see recorded footage of Trigger using his body probably isn't the best idea right now!"

"I know that!" The old digger shot back at his granddaughter. "But this is publicly disseminated information you're trying to protect him from. You can't avoid it even if you wanted to!"

"I knew it was too early to come here." She grumbled in a low tone.

Barrell approached her to look her in the eyes. "And keep the boy locked up in the Flutter until you felt he was ready to face the world again?"

Roll turned her head to the side slightly, unable to maintain eye contact with him. "That's not what I meant."

"I know you feel like you have to protect him now, especially after almost losing him once before, but you have to give him more credit than that." Barrell turned around after saying his peace and resumed his position at the front of the group, beckoning everyone to follow with a wave. "Well, let's not keep them waiting folks."

He proceeded ahead to rejoin with Megaman and Amelia in the next room followed by the others whom all reluctantly walked around a stationary Roll Caskett. The blonde engineer looked ahead to everyone's backs, a conflicted look in her eyes.

"It's not like I want to feel this way." She said to no one in particular. "It would be easier to act as though nothing has changed, but what kind of friend would I be if I allowed that?"

**_..._**

**_..._**  
"C'mon guys, what are we doing here?!" Came the distressed complaint of a young masculine voice from offscreen as the camera shook unsteadily, likely from the running the cameraman was doing. "We should be trying to get farther away!" The voice persisted before being shut down by two other offscreen voices (_one of them feminine_) to shut up and grow a pair.

The camera steadied itself as the person holding it gradually slowed in their run to press up against a building corner at the end of the block they were sprinting across. The camera view carefully peered around the corner and focused on a trio of bird-bot mechs standing in the street that were preoccupied with something that was just out of view. The head of the trio gestured to whatever had their attention in a threatening manner with one of its arm mounted machine guns just before a manhole lid came slicing through the air like a thrown disc, severing the arm clean from the shoulder joint.

The invisible foe was met with immediate retaliation after the arm hit the ground with all three mechs opening fire with their remaining guns, turning as their target moved to keep a bead on it, but their enemy was too swift to gun down, and when the enemy in question came into view after circling around the bird-bots the cameraman and his companions couldn't hold in their excitement at who it was.

"That's me." Megaman stated absently, his eyes widening when he saw himself on the television screen making short work of the pirates. He watched as the young man on the screen pulled off maneuvers that he never thought to try, or had any confidence in himself to risk the possibility of breaking his neck executing. Surely the person on the television was himself, but only in appearance and nothing beyond that. This warrior's tactics were more precise and calculated, every movement had a defined purpose behind it, and above all else he did combat up close and personal without utilizing a buster cannon or any other long ranged weapon.

"That's different..." Roll commented, bringing a hand to the back of her head in amazement at just what was taking place onscreen. Having seen Megaman do combat personally she could detect the dramatic differences in the way Trigger approached enemies. "It's creepy." She felt a tingling sensation in her neck. "Watching Megaman move like that_____–_it doesn't identify with what I'm used to seeing him do."

Shelke alternated stares between the Megaman on the screen now engaging a large feline-like mech and the one sitting in front of her. "That's amazing. You're like a different person when you're fighting."

Ira jumped at the chance to make her admiration for the blue bomber known to all with an insistence of, "Megaman is always amazing." Said with a bit of sass in her mild voice, but the young hero's appreciation for her kind words, or anyone else's for that matter was either well concealed by the enduring stony expression on his handsome face or never felt to be expressed. His undivided attention was solely drawn to the television and nothing else until the recording was cut short with the interruption of a news reporter informing them that there was no more exclusive footage left to be shown. The television was shut off.

"Huh..." It was an undefinable sound that left the young man's mouth after being released from the spell that the recording had bind him with. It wasn't resolute nor did it leave him open to say anything. It just left him.

"Megaman?" Amelia's face entered his line of vision, her lovely countenance expressing her uncertainty at whether she did something good or bad in showing off the recording. Her excitement at unveiling her little treasure had faltered at his apparent dispassion toward the whole presentation. "Perhaps this wasn't something you cared to see?"

"No, that's not it." He came alive after receiving her question, offering her a reassuring smile that was more self serving than he might have convinced himself to believe. "It's just so much to take in, that's all." He brought a hand to cup his chin, two fingers resting over his lips as the most nagging thought came to mind, but just as he opened his mouth to ask the question bothering him one of Amelia's maid entered to inform them that the table was set and the food prepared.

"Thank you, Alice." The mayor thanked the short haired, freckled maid. She looked to Megaman, relieved to have an interruption to pull them away if even for just a moment. "I hope you're hungry, Megaman. The linguini that my chef prepared is definitely worth the trip!"

The mayor took her respective place at the head of the table with Barrel seated to her left side and Megaman to her right. Roll snatched the seat beside her best friend before Ira could innocently take it for herself leaving the younger girl to the seat beside her instead, a seat taken begrudgingly as Bleucher took the seat beside his own long time friend. The cynically, dutiful maid Shelke was nowhere to be seen since she rejoined the other maids in their services, but her particular absence wasn't the void that Roll Caskett felt staring at the empty seat beside the business tycoon that should have been occupied by a missing member of the party. It occurred to her at that very moment that this very individual occupying her thoughts had meant more to her than she had ever given them credit for. When Megaman disappeared Yuna had been her ever present pillar of support, keeping her spirits in the balance whenever she came close to plunging into depression again.

_I didn't think that I'd feel her absence this quickly_. The blonde engineer rested her hands together on the edge of the table side, eyes still cast toward the empty chair with a sense of loss. "Could I do the same for her?" The question was left to the air in doubt.

_Somehow I don't think that would be appropriate. Her loss was ultimately my gain, and..._ Her eyes swiveled toward the young man beside her staring at his plate as one of the maids set it down in front of him. _...I wouldn't turn back time if it meant losing him again. I'd be crazy to let my chances slip away like she did._

"I wanted to ask you something earlier, Amelia." The red clad engineer turned her head toward her best friend like a meerkat on the alert when he spoke. Since the moment they arrived at Kattleox it felt as though they had knocked over a domino that started a toppling effect and every domino that dropped was another step toward a subject she didn't want to delve into. Roll's expression remained cool as she awaited his question, admirably enough, but she felt as though someone was wringing her stomach like a drenched rag as the anticipation mounted inside of her.

"Yes?" The lovely mayor humored him, leaning over.

"So if I broke away from Roll and the others at some point to do my own thing..." Megaman trailed off to the growing intrigue of Amelia and the dread of Roll. "...How is it that I was able to travel to other islands without the Flutter to transport me there?"

"Ah, well, that is probably the most curious question of all, isn't it?" Amelia questioned him somewhat slyly. "You disappeared during your last visit to the island."

"I left from Kattleox?" Megaman quirked a brow, crossing his arms inquisitively. "Weird."

"You left with Tron Bonne." Amelia came right out with it. At that exact moment Roll's throat contracted at just the right moment and she choked on her own saliva sending her into a coughing fit.

Megaman nearly sent his chair toppling over with a jerk of shock. "I left with Tron?!" He blurted out after the initial shock had left him. "What was I doing with Tron?! Why would I go anywhere with her?" Now this question would have been music to Roll's ears if not for the fact that there wasn't a trace of disgust in the blue bomber's voice. She couldn't help but detect something else. One could have easily replaced every "I" in that volley of questions with "Trigger" and it would have been just as appropriate.

Bleucher's expression became apprehensive upon hearing the most eerie noise come from across the table, it was like, well, he wasn't sure how to describe it, but it was definitely coming from Roll. Was she giggling, or summoning the vengeful souls of the underworld?

"You sound jealous, Megaman!" Roll said in her best teasing voice as she leaned over to knock her shoulder against his, and yet her lips were caught between a makeshift smile and a scowl as she continued to let out that most horrifying noise. The resulting expression would have been more at home on a most wanted poster at the precinct.

Megaman was normally slow to pick on these sort of things, but the chill he felt upon feeling Roll's shoulder knock against his couldn't be wrong. He had better tread lightly with his response or the worst might befall him on his next dig. "Jealou_____–_" The young hero stopped himself short to scoff at the incriminating suggestion, which may or may not have been sort of spot on-maybe. "Let's be serious, Roll." He said perhaps too defensively. "I'm trying to wrap my head around this and you're laughing it off with a joke?"

"Tron was really against letting you go when I stormed her airship, you know?" Roll thrust the proverbial knife in his side cruelly. "You must have gone pretty sweet on her for Tron to feel that attached to you. You've obviously been holding out on me." She grumbled that last part.

"Tron's a pirate." Megaman retorted calmly. "I've had this conversation with her..."

"What?" Roll's voice went strangely flat. "What conversation?"

Megaman froze, jaw hanging open for a few seconds before his brain booted up again. He spoke carefully, "The one about her being a pirate." He blinked. "That conversation. We talk when we fight."

"You two hold conversations when you fight?" Amelia squeezed into the argument.

"It happens." He replied with a quick shrug and a nod, relieved to have a reason to stop holding eye contact with his best friend. "Pirates do that sometimes."

"And you answer back?" Roll cocked her head, narrowing an eye.

He promptly answered, "I do."

The two shared not another word for the rest of the dinner, and Barrell was grateful for that, though without Roll's banter to keep Megaman preoccupied the blue hero could not escape the nagging thoughts that were taking root in the back of his mind. Staring into the pile of linguini sitting on his plate he could only sigh as he took the fork sitting beside the plate into his hand.

"It's not important." Megaman told himself, gathering the pasta with his fork clumsily. He brought the fork to his open mouth with a pause as if to consider the act he was about to commit, with the hand that held the eating utensil-the same hand that Trigger, no doubt, utilized in a similar manner when the body was his to control. Sensing a stare from the blonde engineer at his side Megaman quickly took the pasta into his mouth and chewed, globs of salt water gathering at the corners of his eyes at the hot food settling upon his sensitive tongue.

_It's not important._ He repeated in his head like a mantra, but that nagging thought was like a brand in his mind telling him differently. _But it's important to somebody. It has to be._

* * *

**_To Be Continued_**

* * *

**_Chapter Twenty: Six Months, Part II_**

**_Legends Arc Four: Wild Heart_**


End file.
